


His Royal Highness

by lordelannette



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bodyguard Steve Rogers, Bottom Bucky Barnes, M/M, Omega Bucky Barnes, Prince Bucky Barnes, Royal Guard Steve, Top Steve Rogers, fast burn, royal bucky barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:27:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29213403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordelannette/pseuds/lordelannette
Summary: As the youngest royal child, and an omega at that, Prince James' world revolves around one word: safety.Steve Rogers, member of the Royal Guard, has been with the family for a few years now but he's never been the one in charge of the young Prince James.That is, until a scare within the castle walls brings Steve and his Royal Highness into close contact and changes their futures forever.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 144
Kudos: 380





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another Omega Bucky & Alpha Steve story? YEP. 
> 
> Why? Because SO many of you were living for Mistletoe Season AND Ninety-Nine Problems that I figured, give the people what they want! 
> 
> I asked a few of my close friends on tumblr to send me some Omega Bucky prompts and someone sent me 'Royalty AU. Bratty Prince Bucky. Serious Bodyguard Steve'. It was my favorite one so I spent the last few weeks of January messing around with this fic and somewhat creating a full fic. I'm sticking to the same format as my other two stories so I'm looking at 25k-ish words, 9 chapters? I haven't completed the ending of the story but it'll be complete come March when I (should) start posting my Lolita AU story. 
> 
> Depending on the attention the story gets, I may post update this twice a week... but for now stick to one.

* * *

Bucky

* * *

Slamming the door shut behind him, Bucky threw himself into the plush leather seat of the limousine that was awaiting for him at the private airport, praising the tinted windows since his audience couldn’t see him scowling at them. 

He’d been home for a total of ten minutes.  _ Ten _ . And they were already hounding after him like he held the world’s most precious secrets in his hands. Didn’t they have families to go to? Their own lives to live? 

It was irritating. He’d been told his welcome home would be a  _ private  _ matter but the horde of journalists that had somehow been allowed onto the premises said otherwise. 

He didn’t have to wonder why that was. 

At least he’d been picked up by Clint. Although, really, he could have walked home. The distance was short enough but, as always, safety first. Safety this, and safety that. Always safety, safety, and more fucking safety. 

“Glad to be home?” Clint asked from the front. He was one of the newer security guards but Bucky had met the man before leaving. He was cool, or at least as cool as a security guard could get. The man did his job well but he wasn’t afraid of goofing off with Bucky every so often. It was refreshing to see a guard actually be--  _ shockingly--  _ human. 

The four guards who had returned home from South Africa with him had been picked up at the airport by their families. Parents and partners and even kids who were so excited for their arrival that they had been given special clearance to wait on the tarmac.  _ Bucky  _ had been met by a reinforced stretch limo and the entire Romanian press waiting to capture his return for all of the newspapers and online media to see. There was no family waiting anxiously for him. Which was fine, really. He figured they had more important matters to attend.

“Yeah, I am,” he answered at last. It had been over three months since he’d set foot in his home country. After spending his summer in South Africa, helping build and set up schools for an underdeveloped area, he was more than ready to see his family again. For the past three months it had been just him, four bodyguards, and a whole village of people who’d had no idea that he was a prince. 

Heck, it’d been easy for him to forget just as well. 

But there was no hiding forever. Being the only omega child in the family, and the youngest at that, there simply was no hiding. His every second of every day was accounted for. His meals were carefully executed by the finest chefs the world had to offer; his clothes were made of the finest material. Everything was always so carefully chosen that it made him want to pull his hair out. 

If Natasha or his parents had found out he’d lived his days in South Africa in cut up jeans and thrifted t-shirts or even his ratty pair of Adidas, they’d probably lose their shit. Natasha would laugh but then she’d buckle under the pressure from his parents. 

Really it was a miracle they’d let him go in the first place. He’d been given rules over rules over rules but he’d been allowed to leave nonetheless. As long as he took his security seriously. Which he did. Kinda. For the most part. 

Being the youngest had its advantages at times especially when all he had to do was pout just the tiniest bit in his mother’s direction and she’d let him out of pretty much anything. Which usually consisted of skipping out on press events or those stupid global summits. It was a shame that his sister didn’t have the same luxury.

“Your parents want to meet with you as soon as we arrive home,” Clint said. 

He nodded his head. He’d spoken to them just a few hours ago to let them know he was almost home. They had been distracted by royal wedding planning but made him promise he’d find them as soon as he arrived. 

The best part of missing out on three months of home life? Getting to skip out on the madness of Becca’s upcoming wedding. As he stared out of the windows at the streets of the capital city leading up to his home, he bit back a grin. Nearly every shop window was filled with royal wedding specials and merchandise. He bet Becca was absolutely loving all of the attention--  _ not _ .

His big sister Rebecca Winifred Barnes, the heir apparent to the kingdom, was set to wed an Omega prince from Hungary. It was an arranged marriage, born out of a treaty nearly twenty years ago. It was… something… that Becca’s marriage would be one of convenience rather than love but she’d assured him and the family that she was fine with it, and that it was her duty to the crown. Bucky had his doubts but he wouldn’t make her repeat herself. He just couldn’t imagine not pursuing his own desire because their titles wouldn’t allow it. Being the last born meant that he wasn’t expected to uphold the outdated expectations. He was free to marry whoever he wanted. 

And he knew who he wanted. 

His mind immediately brought up his desired Alpha’s face. Steven Rogers, second lieutenant of the Royal Guard. Although, it had been three months since he’d last seen the man so perhaps he was a first lieutenant now. He’d once heard Steve say that his biggest goal in life was to be the head of the Royal Guard so the man was clearly working his way there. And despite how prestigious the position of head of the Royal Guard was, Bucky could easily see Steve leading it. Steve was as good as they came, better, even. 

Of course, Steve really hadn’t said those words to him. Bucky had just overheard it one time at an event. Steve was never assigned to Bucky’s detail. His skills were too sharp to not be utilized on the King and Queen. But for a time, Steve had been assigned to Becca so Bucky had been able to spend  _ some  _ time with him. Not that Steve had noticed. 

His infatuation with Steve was just that: an infatuation. Nothing but a crush. The man was an Alpha, all bulging muscles and towering height and looks that would make anyone swoon so of course Bucky was one of his (probably many) admirers. It didn’t help that Steve was a few years older than him, too. 

But now that he was home again, he’d need to avoid the man. It would not do well for a prince to have a crush on a bodyguard, and if anyone found out, Steve would likely not be promoted ever again. Or better yet, be allowed to step foot on the royal grounds. 

Though Steve had done nothing to fuel Bucky’s infatuation with him. The Alpha hadn’t ever even looked at him. Yet somehow Bucky just managed to get all starry eyed whenever the man was around. 

It was… pathetic. Most definitely. 

When they arrived at the palace, nothing had changed from the last time he’d seen it. He’d been gone three months yet it felt as if it’d been three years. The sight of his home still took his breath away, just as it had from when he was a young boy. 

The castle was hundreds of years old, but was always renovated and kept in pristine condition. Built with white stone slabs and several stories tall, with open balconies and twining ivy on some parts. His eyes found his own section of the castle and he smiled, feeling excitement race through his bones. 

When Clint parked at the private side entrance, Bucky wasted no time racing up the steps of the west garden and flying inside. The inside of his home was always a blur of bustling activities but as he slid to a stop in one of the foyers, he realized that the amount of people inside was… larger than normal. It seemed as if every member of the royal staff was there, running in every direction, pausing just enough to look his way and bow, before scurrying off again. 

“Excuse me, unknown stranger, but do you have clearance to be here?” 

He grinned at the sound of the voice. He knew that voice. 

When he turned around, he flung himself into Nat’s arms, hugging her fiercely. 

“Missed you too, Your Royal Highness,” she teased, returning the hug just as strongly. He could feel something hard poking into his side and when he looked down, he wasn’t surprised to find her signature tablet tucked beneath her arm. 

“Seems like work is busy as always,” he mused as he stepped back. He gestured around the room at the chaos occurring and asked, “What’s going on, anyways?” 

Natasha was the head management of the household. She was the real one who held down the castle. And as one of the staff went rushing past her with a fresh set of pressed napkins, Natasha was tapping at her tablet, keeping tally of it all. He’d been there only for a few seconds and he was already feeling overwhelmed. 

“Preparations for the wedding,” she answered.

“But it’s still weeks away.” 

“Yes, and the preparations have been going on for way longer than that. You should see what’s happening to your sister’s wing--”

“Bucky!” His father’s voice boomed down the stairs. The King held out his arms in a grand gesture as Bucky looked up. “My boy! It’s so good to see you.” 

Natasha put her hand on his shoulder. “Welcome home, Your Highness. Come find me when you get settled. We had chef put together some of your favorites. Even got a few of those truffles you love so much.” 

“Thank you.” He smiled, putting his hand over hers. His heart leapt in his chest. He’d missed this so much. His home, the people that cared about him, his parents, his sister. Everyone. 

He raced up the marble stairs, in a very unprincely manner. His mother laughed as he threw himself into his father’s arms. The suit his father wore was perfectly pressed but that didn’t matter as he pulled Bucky in tight. 

“I missed you, Papa,” he said. He took a deep breath, inhaling the cologne his father still used. Some things would never change. 

“I missed you, too, son. It’s so good to have you home now. Safe and sound. I wish we could catch up right now, but we have to get going. We’re meeting with the Hungarian diplomacy to discuss arrangements about the wedding. A bit last minute, unfortunately.” His dad had his arms around him, and rubbed Bucky’s back like he’d always done since forever. 

“Sure, of course,” he nodded. He stepped back, out of his father’s arms. After all, he was twenty going on twenty-one, not a kid. 

His mother didn’t let him get too far though. She encased him in her arms, pecking at his cheek. “We’re so proud of you, Bucky. You accomplished so much on your trip.” 

He grinned, the words filling him with pride. “Thanks.” There would be a time and place later to discuss everything in detail but for now he knew his parents needed to leave. 

Reluctantly, he stepped back even farther to allow them to pass down the stairs. An attendee of the King stepped forward and straightened his suit. “Set up an hour block for tomorrow before lunch. I’d like to have time with my son.” The attendee nodded. 

And so did Bucky. Tomorrow before lunch it was. 

“Is there anything I need to do for the day?” he asked. 

But his father shook his head. “No, go on and get settled. We’ll have to schedule a formal dinner to celebrate your return but we’ll give you time before then.” 

He did his best to not frown. A formal dinner meant the top officials within the country would be invited… along with the press. It was always a show. 

After they left it seemed as if the bustle of the staff slowed down. It seemed like everyone could breathe a bit easier. 

“Well, I guess I can go to my room, then?” he looked toward Clint. “I still have a room, right?” 

The sandy blond handed him one of his smaller bags. “We’ll have your luggage delivered there, sir.” 

“Thank you.” He took the three flights of stairs up, before taking a left and making his way into his wing of the castle. Although really, he didn’t claim anything apart from his room, which was more like a suite of rooms. 

He entered his room and took a deep breath. The curtains were all wide open and everything was spotless as always. He had no doubt that even though no one had lived in his chambers for three months, the staff still cleaned everything from floor to ceiling. His gaze went to the room where his personal library was, then down the hall where his bathroom, walk-in closet, and bedroom were. His home within his home. 

And as he took it all in, he couldn’t help but wonder: had it always been so empty? 

* * *

Steve

* * *

The ticking of the clock radiated throughout the room.  _ Tick tock. Tick tock.  _

Steve held back a sigh and forced his eyes to stay open. He was coming off a long shift of preparation and planning for all of the royal family to be under one roof. As second in command of the Royal Guard, he took his responsibility of the royal family’s safety seriously. Deadly serious. And as the family began to expand, Steve’s job got harder. 

The only thing that stood between him and a full day off was this meeting. 

They sat in the Royal Guard lavish conference room, the huge crystal chandelier hanging above their heads. The mahogany table had a person at every seat, as well as some of the staff standing against the wall. Each of the guards had the binder in front of them that outlined all the protocols that they put in place in anticipation of the royal wedding. 

Nick Fury, their chief of security, in charge of coordinating schedules, droned on and on about things they already knew, plans they had already put into place, and routines they had long since memorized. It was important, and most days Steve appreciated the reminder regarding the protocols, but today he just wanted to go to his room and crash for a few hours.

“As of fourteen hundred hours, the entire royal family is under this room and I expect them to remain safe, happy, and healthy the entire time,” Nick said from the head of the table.

Steve perked up at that, sitting up straighter in his seat. Prince James was home now? He hadn’t realized today was the day. 

He snuck a glance out the window across the courtyard and looked three floors up to the window of James’ bedroom, a bedroom that had remained empty and quiet for months now while he was on his trip in South Africa. 

As if by magic itself, the light of the prince’s room flickered on. Steve leaned forward, his eyes locked on the window. Maybe he could just catch a-- 

There was a nudge on his shoulder. “Pay attention, man,” Sam said. He was Steve’s closest friend on the guard and one who knew better than anyone how much Steve was dreading, and anticipating, Prince James’ return. Sam knew just how desperately Steve had fought to be put on the prince’s detail and he also knew just how devastated Steve had been when he’d been denied. 

He turned his attention back to the boss. 

“Rogers, I know you’re coming off a long shift. I want you to be back on duty tomorrow morning, though.” 

“Sir, I was hoping--” 

“I know you need more time, but Prince James’ security detail is not the size I want it to be. His guards that returned home with him need time to recuperate and spend time with family.” 

That meant he’d be on duty since he didn’t have a family. No parents either. 

“Of course, sir.” 

Hopefully, he wouldn’t be assigned to the young prince specifically. Maybe he’d just manage James’ schedule and assign individuals as needed. The prince had just returned home, surely he just wanted to stay home and relax? It wasn’t like the young man was going to be going out and socializing at every hour, right?

“Ooh,” Sam whispered to him. “Looks like you’re going to be watching Loverboy.”

“Cut it out,” he growled back. 

Sam nudged his shoulder again, only this time he was indicating toward the window. “Oh, there he is.” 

He should have stopped himself from looking. He should have been stronger, but he wasn’t. 

His head turned, his gaze seeking the young man who haunted his dreams despite his best attempts to keep him out of them. But damn it, Steve wanted to catch a glimpse. Had the prince changed in the past few months? He would never admit to anyone how he’d come to memorize the prince’s features over the years. Or how he always called the young man Bucky in his head just like the royal family did, even though Steve had no right. 

For a while, he had been assigned to the princesses watch and it was because of that that he’d been put into close contact with the prince. Got to really know him-- the ins and outs of what made Prince James  _ Bucky _ . 

When Steve had first been chosen for the Royal Guard, Bucky had been a kid. Fourteen to Steve’s twenty-three. Bucky had been a teenage boy who liked getting himself into trouble more times than not and who had the tendency to be bratty when things didn’t go his way. But over the years, Steve watched him change. Watched him grow. Watched when he got hurt like when Bucky tried to play baseball with his Alpha cousins and he’d missed a catch and the ball split his skin just above his eyebrow. He’d been assigned to that event, and he’d been the one that had been at Bucky’s side first. Bucky had laughed it off, but Steve had been a mess on the inside. It never failed that whenever Bucky got hurt, no matter how small the injury, it killed him to see Bucky hurt. Steve had never let himself feel anything remote to interest in the royal family but once Bucky blossomed into the adult that he’d become, Steve had begun to place a name to the feelings he had never thought possible. 

It mesmerized him. 

It fucking terrified him, too. 

And then there he was. Standing in front of his window, the prince was on clear display for Steve’s gaze. He sucked in a shaking breath, feeling the air expand his chest. There was just something about this Omega… something about Bucky that made Steve want to protect him. Not because it was his job, but because it was something Bucky needed him to do, expected of him as… what? His Alpha? That could never happen.  _ Ever _ . 

The curtains of Bucky’s windows were pulled closed and Steve turned his attention back to Fury. Things had to stay professional between him and the prince, just like the relationship Steve had with the princess. Bucky had no reason to look Steve’s way, and had never looked his way as far as Steve could tell. And in return, Steve never gave Bucky a second glance either, at least not when anyone was around to see it. 

Professionalism was key, and he wasn’t going to break the rules by fraternizing with his charge. No matter how tempted he was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did tag this fic fast burn for a reason... ;)
> 
> ALSO holy moly you guys blew up the kudos on this fic already. I seriously wasn't expecting so much attention based on one chapter. You all mean the world to me! Seriously.

Bucky

* * *

Some of his Omega friends enjoyed their heats. They’d find another Omega, or a Beta to hunker down with and have a grand fucking time. But  _ not  _ him. He dreaded them since before his first one ever even hit. 

He’d been a bit of a late-bloomer, as the doctors had told his parents, but when he’d been seventeen and that feverish, desperate feeling took him over, he wasn’t too pleased about the whole thing. And ever since then, he never enjoyed the twice-yearly occurrence. 

So when his heat came on suddenly only hours after arriving home and not even having the chance to un-pack yet, he groaned in irritation. He wanted to flop on the floor and throw a fit like a toddler but he refrained.  _ Just  _ barely. 

It was probably because of his traveling. His rhythm was all messed up so it was only natural that it caused his body to act up, too. At least now he’d get it out of the way and he wouldn’t have to worry about disrupting the wedding ceremonies that would be happening. Unlike that time when he’d gone into heat at nineteen years old and had to bow out of a state dinner. He couldn’t even remember the dignitary that he’d offended with his absence. Then again, it hardly mattered. He hadn’t cared an ounce back then and he certainly didn’t now either. 

Still, he’d had plans to go and visit a few of his friends. That would all have to wait now. At least for a couple of days. 

So rather than fight the hormones that were already taking over his body, he let it overtake him. Besides, the longer he resisted it, the more awful it would be. He knew he should probably call someone to help out but unlike his friends, he’d never shared his heat with anyone and he wasn’t going to start now.

He sent a quick text to his parents, and then his sister to let them know he’d be in his room for the next forty-eight hours, or maybe less if he was lucky. They understood. After all, it was the beauty of an Omega lifestyle. 

His sister sent back a sad emoji face because she’d been caught up in a meeting before they could see each other, but then responded that she’d send up cake and ice cream later. At least he had that to look forward to. 

He took a deep breath as he glided into his bathroom, the warm water already filling the tub. He slipped a few oils into the water before dropping a bath bomb in there too-- a pretty rose one because no one could tell him otherwise-- and he slipped out of his clothes with a sigh of relief, ready to let himself be overtaken with his desires. 

It was always intimate… with himself, if that could be considered a thing. It was just him and his body, his hole slickened, smoothing the way for an Alpha cock that would never arrive. He grabbed at his cock as it started to throb, stroking and working his private like he’d done hundreds of times before. It was routine by now. He knew what he liked; he knew what he wanted. 

And what he wanted was that dream Alpha who always flashed through his mind. Broad shoulders, wide chest with a fine spattering of dark hair, firm pecs, an even firmer abdomen that would go on forever and end with that delicious line that practically drew a welcome sign down to a thick, long cock. He groaned as he stroked himself and sunk further into the water, letting the rose petals surround him. 

He could just picture him, his perfect Alpha. And somehow that Alpha always turned into the same man.  _ Steve _ . He hadn’t seen the man since he’d arrived, and hadn’t heard if the man was around either, but he was thinking about Steve right now. 

The Alpha was his biggest secret. Steve didn’t need to know that Bucky fantasized about him during his heats. Hell, the man probably didn’t even know Bucky existed-- nothing more than another member of the Royal family, and probably his least favorite, too. 

He could feel his release building up in his stomach, that irresistible feeling of need dance up and down his spine, making his toes curl. Steve’s name was sliding off of his tongue when all of a sudden a shrill, ear-splitting siren pierced through the air, making Bucky flinch violently in his tub. 

It was never a good thing for an Omega to undergo their heat in a stressful situation but it wasn’t as if he could ignore it. It didn’t matter that he could feel his heart pounding dangerously fast in his chest and his vision started to tunnel as he grasped for the taps and shut the water off, cursing as he slipped against the oil and porcelain. 

With shaking limbs, he frantically pulled himself from the tub, not caring how a wave of water followed him out. His hands were damn near vibrating as he pulled on his robe but he was out of the bathroom and racing into the foyer of his room without a second thought. His dick was still hard and his hole was slick and leaking but  _ fuck _ , something like this had never happened before. Shudders racked through his body as the siren continued to scream into the air. 

He tried to think of the protocols he’d been told once upon a time, but he cursed when he drew up blank. He’d never paid attention to those. He’d been too busy staring and daydreaming about Steve. 

Just as he was thinking about where he should hide, the door to his suite suddenly burst open. 

“What the fuck?!” he shouted, clutching his robe closed. His cock had deflated but the heat still prickled beneath his skin. He could already feel the sweat beading on his forehead again. The fever was building rapidly but the delirium was still being held at bay. 

One of his Alpha bodyguards stood in his doorway and as Bucky looked at the man, fear started to coarse through him. And rapidly at that. The bodyguard’s dark eyes were locked on his. The Alpha’s nostrils flared, his back stiffened. 

_ Fuck _ . 

He knew his pheromones had to be all over the place and from the looks of it, the Alpha in front of him wasn’t the type that could handle himself in a room with an Omega in heat. He was furious at that realization because as far as he knew, every bodyguard had to undergo  _ strict  _ training to be anywhere near him. 

His parents were surely going to hear about this. 

“What are you doing in here?” he snapped at the man. “You need to leave.  _ Now _ .” 

But when the Alpha took a step forward, further into his space, Bucky stepped back. The urge to run was horrible but it was the number one no-no when confronted with an Alpha who had lost control. 

The Alpha’s fist clenched at his sides. The man was struggling to gain control, that much was obvious, but it was far past the area of forgiveness. 

“There’s been a breach on the property. It’s protocol,” the Alpha informed him. He shook his head as if Bucky’s scent offended him. “You and every royal family member must remain in your rooms.” 

“I  _ am  _ in my room!” he shouted back. “Now get out!” He clutched harder at his robe, the soft fabric tight between his fingers. Did he have anything that he could use as a weapon if the guard wouldn’t get himself under control? Who the hell would he even call for help?

“It’s protocol for a guard to be in your room, your Highness. You can’t be out of my sight.” His breathing was coming out in heavy pants now, and Bucky watched right before his eyes as the man rapidly lost the remaining slither of his control. 

He took another step backward. “No. Absolutely not,” he said, shaking his head. “I won’t repeat myself. You need to get out.” He did a quick inventory of his surroundings, trying to decide what the best weapon would be. If an Alpha couldn’t control himself around an Omega in heat,  _ bad  _ things could happen, which is why he and so many others often secluded themselves during their heats.

“I can’t--” The Alpha covered his face with his hands, his body ramrod straight like he was fighting within himself. The siren was screeching at regular intervals so even if Bucky did scream, no one would hear him. 

He grabbed for a vase that sat on a table near the couch. It was a gift years ago from another Omega prince for Bucky’s eighteenth birthday. It had sentimental value, and it was a priceless piece of art, but he wouldn’t hesitate to ruin it over the Alpha’s head if he needed to. 

But the moment the Alpha registered Bucky’s movement, he was shuffling forward. All it took was one look at the man’s blown-out pupils and his body  _ knew _ . He prepared himself for the fight, starting to raise the vase, but before Bucky could suck in another deep breath, his door was being ripped open and the man was yanked from the room, before the door slammed shut once again. It was all a whirlwind of chaotic motion until just as quickly as it happened, it stopped. 

And there, flipping the lock of Bucky’s door and barricading it with a nearby chair, stood Steve. When he turned around, their eyes locked and it seemed as if a thousand silent conversations took place all in the span of mere seconds. Steve’s eyes flashed with anger and something that Bucky couldn’t quite name, but nonetheless, it made his entire body clench up. And not in the bad way. 

“Are you okay?” Steve asked. His voice--  _ fuck--  _ Bucky’s knees were buckling beneath him but he still managed to keep himself upright. 

He nodded jerkily. “Are you-- do you-- my body’s not…” 

Steve’s jaw tensed, a muscle ticked. “I’m under control. But you have to be within my sight.” 

The impossibility of the situation nearly had him doubling over. His dick was hard again, and his hole was starting to throb so much that it hurt. Pain was starting to radiate from his pelvis. If he didn’t do something soon, he was going to be paying some severe consequences. 

He shifted from foot to foot, his eyes fluttering as the fabric of his robe brushed against his dick. “I have-- I need to--” 

“I know, Bucky, I know. But there’s an intruder on the property. Inside the palace. I can’t leave you alone. You need to remain under my protection.” 

He clutched tighter at his robe. “Someone got inside?” he asked in fevered disbelief. It seemed impossible-- their security was top notch. There were always guards upon guards at every entrance and exit, always a dozen or so scattered within the castle at all times, too. They’d had a few close calls before, but never had anyone gained entry. 

Steve nodded before he tapped at the holster on his waist. “Go to your bedroom but keep the door open. I’ll stay here and guard the entrance.” The Alpha’s sharp blue gaze scoured the entire room, likely scanning for any signs of a threat that could be lurking in the shadows. 

But Bucky was alone. With Steve. The Alpha was still here. Still employed as a palace guard. Just where Bucky had left him. 

Shit.

His suit was larger than the average citizen’s house, but it wasn’t large enough that Steve wouldn’t hear everything Bucky did to himself in the other room. It didn’t help that he’d never been the quiet type. 

“But you’ll be able to--” 

“I can control myself, Bucky. You’re safe with me.” 

His body trembled as the heat spread through him from Steve’s words. His name on Steve’s lips-- without his stupid royal title or his proper name-- was like an aphrodisiac he’d never encountered before. He knew Steve told the truth. He knew the Alpha would maintain control no matter what he did in the other room, no matter how loud Bucky’s screams and shouts of pleasure got, no matter how thick the air would get with the scent of his heat. 

_ Steve  _ could handle it. 

“But what if I can’t?” 

Steve blinked at him, shock registering on his face in an almost funny way. “Excuse me?”

Bucky licked at his lips. The possibility of sharing his heat was displaying beautiful images in his head that he couldn’t shake-- didn’t  _ want  _ to shake. “My heat would go by a lot faster if I shared it with an Alpha. If we’re stuck with each other for the next few hours… we could--” 

“Bucky, you don’t--” 

His body shuddered as his name slid past Steve’s lips again. He’d never heard Steve say it. It was always, ‘Your Royal Highness’. He was never  _ Bucky  _ to Steve, but he wanted to be. 

He slipped the robe down on his left side to expose his shoulder and collarbone, watching Steve’s expression closely. And there it was-- the sharp intake of breath, the dilating pupils, the licking at his lips-- but miraculously, Steve was still in control. He could see Steve still there, not some muddle-brained Alpha wanting their claim. 

Bucky was still watching him carefully as he let the rest of his robe drop to the floor. 

Steve’s eyes widened. The breath the Alpha took in was sharp yet shuddering, loud in the quietness of Bucky’s room. Then, he was pressing a hand to his ear. Someone must have been communicating with him over the radio. “Yes, Prince James is secure. I have eyes on him and won’t be leaving the room until we get the all clear.” 

He held his breath as he watched the Alpha. Did that mean Steve was getting ready to reject him or… 

“Use my cellphone for communication from now on. I’m taking my earpiece out.” Steve spoke with such power and finality that Bucky was raising his eyebrows, impressed. Even  _ he  _ didn’t speak like that and he was  _ literal  _ royalty. 

Steve removed the small device from his ear and set it on the table, before putting his phone right next to it. When he looked back at Bucky, that authority hadn’t left Steve’s features and  _ fuck  _ was it doing things to him. 

“Bucky, do you understand what you’re asking of me?” 

He nodded. “I do.” And really, he would understand the rejection. It was a lot to throw onto a person and he was sure that it would break a shitload of rules on both of their behalves, but it would still suck. Just thinking about Steve putting him down gently was enough to make him want to cry. 

But at the same time, he wasn’t  _ demanding  _ it of Steve. If Steve chose to say no, then that was his choice and Bucky would have no choice but to respect it. 

“I have control right now, Bucky, but if we start this… I don’t know if we can stop.” 

Holy fuck.  _ Holy fuck.  _ Was Steve really going to--

“I trust you,” he replied quickly, eagerly, before angling his body toward his room and reaching his hand out to Steve. “And I won’t want to stop.” 

* * *

Steve

* * *

His body made the decision for him. His cock had hardened the moment he walked into the prince’s room and with the precious Omega’s scent all around him, heat or not, he wanted Bucky. 

He should have left with the other guard. He would single handedly see to it that Rumlow was sent back to training or if the King would call for it, jail. Though Rumlow hadn’t hurt the prince, there had been fear in Bucky’s eyes when he’d come into the room and stopped Rumlow from doing something incredibly horrific. 

Protocol was the important aspect here. It dictated that when there was an intruder in the palace, each member of the royal family had to be in sight of their detail at all times. He’d been on his way to Bucky’s room when the alarm had been sounded. He’d meant to welcome the prince home and explain about the change in his security detail, but instead, he’d caught Rumlow just before the unthinkable could occur. If he had been just a few minutes later… he shuddered thinking about what could have happened to his prince. 

But he didn’t get to think long until Bucky’s voice was calling his name. “Please, Steve.” 

How could he resist? It was wrong--  _ so fucking wrong--  _ but it surely didn’t feel like that. Not how Bucky was naked before him, beckoning for him, his slick shining on the inside of his thighs for Steve’s eyes only. 

So without wasting another fragile second, he stepped forward and grasped at Bucky’s hand. His body hummed at the contact. The soft smoothness of Bucky’s small hand clasped in Steve’s larger, rougher one. 

Bucky groaned in what sounded like relief. “Thank the gods, I need you.” He knew Bucky meant an Alpha, and not just him specifically, but he liked hearing that it was him that Bucky wanted. 

With the space between them nonexistent, he looked down at the young prince. He was a clear head taller than Bucky but his angle gave him a view that he doubted many people had ever gotten of the prince. 

Bucky’s skin was a golden shade, like the finest gold that his crowns were made of, and there were droplets of water from his bath that kissed at his skin along his collarbones and shoulders, but there were also beads of perspiration that were high on his hairline. Bucky’s breathtaking blue-grey eyes were glassy with undeniable desire as they peered into Steve, and the sheer head that radiated from his smaller body had Steve clamping down hard on his urges. 

Except, there was no need to  _ not  _ let his urges run wild. Bucky wanted this. He wanted this. So why would he deny their bodies what they both so clearly wanted. 

With his free hand, he stroked his fingers down Bucky’s cheek, searching the brunet’s gaze for any reluctance to his touch. If Bucky flinched away, he would leave. Bucky had to want this, want him, before he was going any further. 

His lips curled up when Bucky leaned into the touch, his eyelids fluttering. “Steve, please. Take me to bed.” 

He didn’t think he’d ever heard the young prince say please before, but it sounded so pretty on his lips and even better that it was directed at Steve. And Steve was more than ready to do as Bucky suggested. 

“Bucky,” he said gently, before reaching down and sweeping the Omega into his arms. Bucky’s eyes got wide but when he smiled at Steve and wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, he figured the prince was more than okay with it. 

Bucky moaned right in Steve’s ear as he began to carry them to the bedroom. He’d never been in the sacred room before, but as he pushed the door open and made his way to the king-sized bed, he let his gaze briefly scan the room as he placed Bucky on top of the comforter. Because after all, he was still doing a job here. 

The room was clear but if his eyes did another go around, it was because he was taking in the sight of Bucky’s room. It was just as prestigious and rich looking as the rest of the palace, but there was something softer about it, something innocent. 

Except for maybe the assortment of dildos and a large bottle of expensive lube on the night stand beside Bucky’s bed. 

When Steve raised a brow, Bucky blushed so prettily, the dark pink hues painting his cheeks. “I was getting ready to, ummm…” 

He grinned. “You won’t need those right now. Unless that’s what you want…” 

Bucky’s usually shy gaze melted away and all that was left was a look of heated desire and lust. “No way. I’d rather have your cock than any of those toys any day.” 

His cock, which was already hard, went to full mast in a matter of seconds. It strained against his pants and when Bucky’s gaze dipped down, he was licking at his lips as he picked himself up on his knees and made his way to the foot of the bed where Steve was standing. 

“I think it’s only fair that you get naked, too,” he mused with a teasing grin as his fingers found their way to Steve’s belt. Their eyes were locked as Bucky unlatched the clasps, before he undid the button of Steve’s slacks and pulled the zipper down at an agonizingly slow pace. “Can I see you?” Bucky whispered, his lips parted and red and raw and  _ how  _ was it possible to want someone so badly? 

There was just something about Bucky asking. This was a royal prince in front of Steve, a person who never had to ask for anything in his life, and yet he was asking for Steve’s permission. It was amazing, more than words could really describe. 

He shoved the blazer from his shoulders before grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. His holster, which was attached to his belt, was unclipped and pressed onto the bed as he pulled the belt free from the loops and let it fall to the floor with the other remnants of his clothing. 

Bucky’s gaze darted down, locking onto Steve’s weapon. Against the expensive bedding, the gun looked like a stain. He understood why Bucky would be uncomfortable with it, but there was no debate about it being out and ready if Steve were to need it. 

He watched as the young prince took a steady breath before extending his arm toward it. He didn’t touch it, though, not before meeting Steve’s gaze. “You should probably keep it nearby, right? I can put it on the table…” 

Steve nodded and at his permission, Bucky finally grasped the holster and leaned over to add the weapon to the bedside table. It was a strange sight to see his weapon with a collection of dildos and lube, but it certainly didn’t bother him. 

As Bucky opened the drawer and disposed of the dildos, Steve stepped out of his pants. He didn’t remove his underwear until Bucky was resting against his headboard and watching. And when he did, they both stared the other down, their gazes greedily soaking in each other’s nudity. 

He almost couldn’t believe it as his eyes roved over the fully naked prince splayed out in front of him. Bucky stroked himself with his legs spread as Steve climbed onto the bed and nestled between his legs. Immediately, Bucky was sliding down so that Steve was above him. 

Once again Steve was reaching out and letting his hand mold itself to the side of Bucky’s face. “Are you absolutely sure, Bucky? I can stop.” 

“Please don’t,” Bucky said as he gripped the back of Steve’s neck and started to pull him down. “We haven’t even started yet.” 

And then, Bucky was kissing him. His lips crashed against Steve in a bruising kiss. Yet despite Bucky’s forcefulness, there was a hesitation in his movements, like he hadn’t had a lot of this type of interaction before and wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Was it possible that his prince was untouched? As far as he knew, Bucky had never had a lover of any kind and given the strictness of the prince’s safety, the Royal Guard would have been informed of any suitors. Secrets could always be kept, but somehow, he just knew. 

Knowing he was the first to claim Bucky’s mouth in the passion they were about to share had him feeling something that he couldn’t name. And eagerly to be Bucky’s first, he took over. 

He moved his lips over Bucky’s, coaxing his mouth open so he could get a taste of him. While their mouths were locked, Steve’s hands had a mind of their own; he felt his way down Bucky’s body, over his flat stomach and the gentle curve of his hips. His fingers danced against the soft flesh of Bucky’s inner thighs before moving upward and tracing the slick to it’s prime source. 

When his finger pressed against Bucky’s opening, the prince’s hips bucked and he hissed sharply through his teeth. “Please, yes, please.” Bucky’s hands gripped at Steve’s back and as he dug his nails into the meat of Steve’s shoulders, Steve felt something primal start to emerge inside of him. Something that started to chant:  _ mine, mine, mine _ . 

He latched onto Bucky’s neck and sucked the skin over his delicate collar bone into his skin. The young prince tasted like cherries and champagne. Like the most alluring forbidden fruit because that’s exactly what Bucky was. A member of the Royal family, a young man that Steve had sworn under oath to protect with his life. 

It was a gift from the gods that Bucky didn’t want for him to stop, because in that moment, he couldn’t have. He’d never let his fantasies get too far whenever he let himself think of Bucky as a man. He’d dreamt of a kiss, of a touch, but never the prince’s taste or the sounds he might make if Steve were to ever get the Omega underneath him. But now he was experiencing it all. 

Bucky clutched at him harder as Steve pressed his finger through the tight muscle of Bucky’s hole. The slick his body created while deep in the throes of his heat helped ease the way. They wouldn’t even need the lube. 

He watched as Bucky’s eyes fluttered shut as he pushed in another finger. Bucky was tight, so incredibly, wonderfully tight, and he could only imagine how it would feel to have his cock in the Omega’s warmth. He could feel his sanity slipping just at the thought. 

He wished that he would have been given all of the time in the world to memorize and cherish Bucky’s body as the treasure it was, but Bucky was starting to pant and his skin was turning hotter than a normal heat. Bucky’s body needed to be fucked and quickly.

Steve managed to scissor his fingers in Bucky’s hole for just over a minute when Bucky had finally lost his patience. His surprisingly strong fingers slid into Steve’s hair and he tugged Steve’s face to his own, making them eye level before he was speaking. “Fuck me,  _ please  _ Steve. I need your cock.”

He chuckled deep in his throat as he kissed Bucky's throat again. “Such naughty words for someone of your regal upbringing.”

Bucky’s steel gaze blazed with desire and even more amusedly, impatience. This was a person who was used to having everything at the snap of his fingers, never having to repeat himself. This whole situation was certainly new to the both of them in more ways than one. 

Again, Bucky tugged at Steve’s hair. “I know what I want, Steve. Give it to me.” 

All of the teasing left Steve’s mind. Bucky needed him… needed his cock. 

He pressed one final kiss to Bucky’s mouth before he was reaching over to the bedside table, hoping to find condoms. He silently rejoiced when he did, otherwise he would have had to make the awkward and unallowed journey to his bed chambers to grab his own. 

Wordlessly he plucked a condom from the night stand and sheathed his cock. He’d barely managed to roll it down when suddenly Bucky was reaching for Steve’s cock and sliding down at the same time, lining them up. But just as his cock pressed at Bucky’s hole, he reached for the prince’s hips, halting him. He met Bucky’s gaze.

He wished that he could capture the moment forever, in something other than his memories. He wanted to relive it forever. Besides, he’d need his memories to keep him warm in the dungeon after the King and Queen found out he’d spent the prince’s heat with him. 

When he pushed into the prince’s depths, it felt like heaven and hell all at once. Bucky’s sheath was tight but his muscles relaxed and took Steve’s cock beautifully. Still, he would wait every few seconds to allow for Bucky’s body to get accustomed to the intrusion but after the second time of halting, Bucky was withering beneath him and pulling Steve in deeper. 

“So full,” Bucky breathed. His eyes were open, watching Steve. “Fuck me, Steve. Move!” 

His wish was Steve’s command. He’d never deny his prince his needs. 

He gripped Bucky’s hips and picked up the pace, slamming into him slow at first but increasing his speed with each movement. He’d never shared a heat with an Omega before. He knew being with an Alpha was the quickest way to alleviate the discomfort that came with a heat. He understood that Bucky needed this just as much as he needed air to breathe. 

Everything that Steve gave him, Bucky gave it right back. His slick, hot channel gripped Steve’s cock as they lost themselves in their pleasure and it felt like no time at all until Bucky was milking Steve’s release from him. It was coming quicker than he wanted. They wouldn’t be able to savor the moment if he popped too fast. 

“Oh  _ fuck _ , Bucky. Need to slow down. Too fast.” 

“Don’t stop! Fuck, this feels so good. I need it, Steve. Harder!” The brunet reached down and began to pump his pretty cock between them, precum beaded at the tip. He wanted to taste it, but if he did he’d be done for sure. 

His hands dug into Bucky’s hips as he pushed himself to go harder, faster, to give the prince what he was asking so beautifully for. Their bodies rocked together in perfect unison and he felt truly blessed to watch as Bucky absolutely lost it. 

The prince’s back arched beneath him and Steve quickly slid his arm beneath him, pulling him up and into his chest that they were pushed entirely together. “O-ohh fuck,” Bucky whimpered. “Right there. More. More!” he shouted at Steve and suddenly Bucky’s legs were clamped around him until Steve’s hips could barely move. 

When Bucky came, it was like an explosion between them. The sight alone had Steve spilling right after. If it weren’t for the condom, he’d be filling Bucky to the brim and that realization alone made his arms give out entirely, collapsing onto Bucky. 

He knew the Omega was probably struggling to breath since Steve was so much bigger than him, but when he tried to pick himself up, Bucky was holding him back down with his arms and legs, clinging to Steve’s mass entirely. So instead, Steve shifted so that the most of his wait was to the side, leaving Bucky still beneath him. 

As they laid together, Bucky trailed his hand down Steve’s back. “That was amazing,” the prince said. He still wasn’t unlatching his arms or legs from around Steve, and his voice sounded far away, dazed. 

Steve was just impressed Bucky could actually make any words. When he opened his mouth to say something, all that came out was a deep moan. It took him a moment, but eventually he caught his breath and eased his dick from Bucky’s body. 

He had to sit up to remove the condom, and after he tied it off he tossed it in the wastebasket in the bathroom. While he was in there he checked the temperature of the bath water and was pleased that it was still warm. He thumbed against one of the rose petals, grinning at Bucky’s romantic nature. 

When he walked back into the bedroom, he scooped Bucky into his arms, rumbling in sheer happiness when Bucky purred beautifully into his neck. The prince’s gentle touch was everywhere at once, skimming up and down Steve’s arms and shoulders and chest, and when Steve glanced down, it was no surprise that Bucky’s cock was already hard again. 

“Need you,” he whispered before pressing his lips to Steve’s neck, his tongue licking up and down Steve’s skin. 

Steve shuddered, his own dick thickening also. “I know, love. But I think we should enjoy this bath first.” 

He lowered them into the water. The bathtub was large enough to be considered a miniature pool, and he expected Bucky to get far from his reach, but instead, Bucky relaxed right up against him, his lithe back against Steve’s chest. Steve felt it in his lungs as Bucky let out a breathy moan. 

Later they would have to talk, figure out what this meant and how they would deal with the repercussions, but right now he had his Omega in his arms and he wanted to savor the moment as long as he could. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of an hour ago, I finally have precious WiFi again! 
> 
> So for those aren't aware or don't follow my tumblr, I live in Texas and as the world witnessed for a straight week, Texas fell into absolute chaos which included losing power and water. Myself, and my family stayed safe and healthy so thank you to those that reached out to check on me, seriously. 
> 
> To pick up for the slack for the past week, I will be posting two updates from now on. Mondays & Fridays :)

Bucky

* * *

It was warm. 

So incredibly warm. 

More than what was normal for his room at the palace. He knew without opening his eyes that that was where he was, because nowhere else would have a blanket anywhere near this thickness. But at the moment, there was more than a blanket weighing him down. An arm was draped over his hips and he was, shockingly, naked. 

He never slept naked. 

He shifted and a soreness radiated through his body and that was when it all came crashing back to him. His heat. The bodyguard. Steve. Asking Steve to fuck him… Steve agreeing. 

_ Holy shit.  _ He’d actually spent the night with Steve. His dream Alpha was in bed with him. The man he’d been in love with for forever. The man he’d went to South Africa to avoid. Although… that wasn’t fair. He had left for lots of reasons. Avoiding his crush on Steve just happened to be one of the smaller ones. 

“Your Highness?” Steve’s voice was rough from sleep. He lifted his head up and Bucky couldn’t help but grin. He’d never seen Steve disheveled or even partially undressed. The Alpha was always in a suit and most of the time he even had sunglasses on. But now, Steve’s blond hair was pointing in every which way, eyes clouded with exhaustion. Had  _ he  _ done that to the big, strong Alpha? He tried to count in his head the number of times they’d had sex, but he lost count after five. 

“I think it was six,” Steve said. 

His eyes widened. “How did--” 

Steve chuckled. “You were ticking them off on your hand.” 

“Oh,” he murmured, his cheeks flushing. 

Steve narrowed his eyes. “Is your heat finished?” He pressed a hand to Bucky’s forehead and he moaned at the Alpha’s touch. “You still feel warm.” 

He’d thought his heat was about done, but it was as if Steve’s touch ignited a fire in him. His cock thickened, growing hard. His hole slickened. It wasn’t over, but it was on its way out. He could likely manage without an Alpha now. 

“I think I can manage on my own if you need to… um…” 

Steve cupped his cheek, his thumb grazing Bucky’s bottom lip before bringing them together, capturing Bucky’s mouth. He was all but a melted puddle against Steve. “I always see a job to the end, Buck. I’d never leave this half-finished but if you would like for me to leave, I can go.” 

He shook his head rapidly. No, he didn’t want Steve to leave. Not at all. 

He bit into his lip as he reached out to grab at Steve’s shoulder. “Can I…” At Steve’s nod, he pushed the Alpha at his meaty shoulder until the blond was flat on his back. He moved quickly to straddle the man. 

Steve’s dick was hard already, just as his was. Large hands pressed against Bucky’s hips, and as he was lifted up, Steve was reaching for his cock and lining himself up to Bucky’s hole, easing his way in. He sank down inch by glorious inch with his head thrown back as his body was filled with his Alpha. 

“Oh baby,” Steve moaned. He gripped at Bucky’s hips, his fingertips digging into Bucky’s skin. “God, you’re so beautiful like this. All mine.” 

“Yes, all yours,” he agreed. He moved, slowly at first, unsure of how or what he was doing. He’d never done any of this, after all. All that mattered was that it felt good. For both of them. 

He ground his hips against Steve until they synched into a rhythm, riding his Alpha into the throes of passion. It was incredible how different Steve’s cock felt compared to the usual dildos Bucky used on himself. There was just something about the man beneath him that made Bucky’s entire body fucking  _ sing _ . 

“Buck-- Buck, I won’t last long.” 

“Don’t hold back,” he told Steve. He gripped at his cock, stroking himself as he rocked faster. 

“Can’t baby, not with you.” 

He held Steve’s gaze as he moved. Neither of them were looking away as the pleasure started to overtake them. Twelve hours ago, he was a blushing virgin who’d barely looked in Steve’s direction despite the intense crush he had on the man. Now, he held Steve’s gaze as the Alpha thrusted up into him. 

He knew the moment before it happened as he watched every second of Steve’s release build in his eyes until he was letting loose inside of him. Bucky followed soon after, come raining down on Steve’s thick chest, marking the man as his. In that moment, Steve was his Alpha. In his heart, too. Always. 

Steve rolled them over until Bucky was underneath him once again. The Alpha pecked at his lips once, twice, three times before deepening it, licking into Bucky’s mouth in a way that could only be described as filthy. He was like a flower beneath the man, opening up for Steve and reveling in the Alpha’s taste. 

Because he feared that he’d never get another moment like this ever again. 

He held onto Steve tight as the heat left his body, letting the hours pass without care. Soon it would be over between them. They would have to move and get up eventually, but for now, they stayed in bed with their limbs intertwined and their bodies flushed. He stroked Steve’s back as his eyes fluttered closed and he let sleep take him over once again. 

* * *

Steve

* * *

When he woke up for the second time, the shock of what had transpired between Prince James and him sunk in all at once. He didn’t even allow himself a moment to enjoy the Omega snuggled against him or bask in the way Bucky’s breath breezed through his chest hair each time the prince exhaled. 

Bucky’s scent surrounded him entirely, but it was muted now that the Omega’s heat had passed. It was no less enticing though. Prince James…  _ Bucky  _ would always be his kryptonite. 

How had he let things go so far? He couldn’t bring himself to regret a single moment of it. Bucky was amazing. He always had been. Being with the Omega was everything and more than Steve had ever dreamed it would be. The night and morning that they had shared would be memories that Steve would cherish for a lifetime. 

But a memory was all that it would ever get to be. There would never be repeats of what they had shared. He would have to make sure of it. 

He got out of the bed and stood at the foot of it to watch his sweet prince sleep. As soon as Steve had left the sheets, Bucky had curled against the pillow that he’d been using. The heated flush that had covered his cheeks and neck just hours earlier was gone now. Prince James had effectively been taken care of. 

Taking a deep breath, he put on his clothes and snuck out into the long hallway of Bucky’s wing of the palace, headed to his own room. The palace was quiet this time of day, but of course he was on camera and he passed several of his colleagues as they stood around Bucky’s door and then further down into the castle where a handful more guarded Princess Rebecca’s room. None of them gave any indication if they knew what he’d done last night and besides, how would they know? He’d been the one assigned to have direct visualization on Prince James and he most certainly hadn’t let the Omega out of his sight, while the others had stood guard beyond the prince’s room. 

When he reached his room, he showered and got dressed in a clean uniform. He knew exactly what he had to do, but he certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. The King would have to accept his resignation. He’d broken protocol. He’d slept with the King’s youngest child, his Omega son. Omega’s were always treated like glass in the world, like fragile treasures, but that was an understatement in how King George handled Bucky. 

It was always wrong to say that a parent favored a child, but everyone knew King George had turned into a different man once Bucky had been brought into the world. Of course he still loved his firstborn but Bucky was just  _ different _ . Steve wouldn’t blame the man if he threw Steve in the deepest, dankest cell in the dungeons that hadn’t been used since the Dark Ages. 

They were under strict orders to never get involved with the Royal family in any way, shape or form. Their job was to protect the family, not befriend them, and certainly not to  _ fuck  _ them. Being that the entire Royal Guard were Alphas, they were also under strict orders to not mess with the Royal family’s only Omega. 

Surely, he was in a world of hurt in his rapidly approaching future. 

He clenched his jaw as he made his way to the King’s office. He didn’t know if His Majesty was available, and odds were that he wasn’t. The man was always busy. Being the King of a country had that effect, but dammit, this was important. He wasn’t going to let the King find out about him and Prince James through the grapevine. 

Because there  _ would  _ be whispers and rumors. There were no secrets in the palace, especially from the King. It had been an entire day since he’d entered Bucky’s room and not come out for air. Perhaps the King already knew. 

He took another deep breath as he reached up and knocked on the solid wooden door of the King’s office. Frank, one of the King’s personal guards, opened the door. “Rogers,” he greeted professionally, nodding his head. “The King has been expecting you.” 

Frank had a level of intimation all on his own, but mixing the King into the matter had Steve’s heart plummeting, already preparing for the worse. 

“Oh,” he cleared his throat, determined not to waiver. Frank may have been damn good at his jobs, but so was Steve. “I need to have a discussion with His Majesty.” He wasn’t ashamed of being with Prince James, but he did need to be honest about it. 

They probably already knew. Hadn’t the King already been expecting him?  _ Shit _ . He was headed to the dungeons for sure. His only regret would be not telling Bucky one final last goodbye, or even kissing him after he’d left in the morning. 

Frank nodded. “Just one moment,” he said and closed the door. 

He waited outside the door for five excruciating minutes. There were numerous guards that passed him, nodding in silent greeting as they continued staying sharp as they walked their routes. He watched as Stella, the Queen’s black poodle, ran down the hall and he even took note of the various kitchen staff workers that were on their ways to deliver breakfast to each of the royal’s quarters, sterling silver dishes gleaming as light bounced against the dome tops. A few times he heard the odd sounds of metal from within the King’s office. Perhaps handcuffs? Or maybe olden shackles meant to keep him bound in a jail cell? 

But finally, the door opened. 

It was the King himself. 

“Your Majesty,” he bowed. 

“Steven, please come in,” King George held out his arm to beckon him forth. “This is about Bucky, yes?” 

He thanked his years of training that he was able to keep his face from displaying the turmoil that boiled inside of him. He nodded before following the King into the office. 

His Majesty nodded. “That’s what I hoped to hear. I have been wanting to address this matter with you for some time, however, it wasn’t until yesterday that my mind was set.” 

He just about balked, feeling the color threaten to fade from his face. Had the King caught onto his fascination with the young prince months-- or hell,  _ years--  _ back? Had he been that obvious? Maybe the King would bring back public executions just for him.

King George sat behind his grand marble desk. Next to him sat Queen Winifred, looking regal as ever as she gave Steve a gentle smile. It never failed how much he was always taken aback at seeing how much Bucky resembled his mother. The eyes, the cheekbones, the nose, the hair… the Queen just had softer curves to her face while Bucky was angles and sharp refinement. 

“I sent Frank away,” the King informed him, capturing Steve’s attention fully. “So that we can discuss this entirely in private. Now, I understand that my son was in his room experiencing his heat when the alarm sounded yesterday. I was also told you were the bodyguard closest and that you had to remove his other guard from the room, correct?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

The King nodded. “I understand that Bucky wasn’t hurt during the exchange, but I can only imagine how scared he must have been. My son has never been the confrontational type, nor the one to be able to easily defend himself. That guard has been removed from the grounds and will be undergoing  _ extensive  _ therapy to work on his control. At this time, we do not plan to reinstate him with the Guard, however if you believe he isn’t a threat to our son, we may be persuaded.” 

Just the thought of Bucky possibly being in danger like that again had him damn near growling out loud. It was a good thing he had sat down in the chair in front of the King’s desk otherwise His Majesty would have seen how his fists tightened. He was quick to give his answer. “No Your Majesty, you made the right call.” 

“And it is also to my knowledge that you have been in Bucky’s room for the past day, correct?” 

He nodded. The motion was certainly more rigid than before. He’d been expecting the issue to be brought to attention sooner rather than later, but it still made his hackles rise. He should have prepared himself better. 

The King regarded him carefully. “And how did that go?” King George stared him down. His Majesty leaned forward on his desk, hands folded in front of him. 

Steve swallowed at the thickness in his throat. “Sir-- we-- the prince and I--” 

The King nodded again, holding up a hand. “That tells me everything I need to know.”

Beside him, the Queen took a deep breath. “Is our son alright?” 

“I-- yes he is.” He looked between the two royals and it was almost as if he was a school boy in the principal’s office. “I didn’t-- it was-- I mean--”  _ Fuck _ , he couldn’t talk.

The Queen spared him mercy, shaking her head gently enough that her crown didn’t move. “My apologies, Steven. I didn’t mean to insinuate you harming our son. We weren’t worried at all that you would harm him. We know you are an honorable man and that whatever happened between you two was consensual. We didn’t fear for a moment that you would do anything to harm him.” 

He dipped his head in appreciation and gave his thanks. It was most certainly an honor that they hadn’t questioned his integrity regarding the entire situation. They had to know that he would never let anything happen to Prince James. Or anyone in the family. After all, it was his job to keep them all protected. 

The more he sat there and sat beneath the King’s watchful gaze, he noticed that His Royal Majesty didn’t seem… angry. Neither did the Queen in fact.  _ Surely  _ they understood that he had fucked their son senseless the night prior too many times to be considered healthy.  _ Surely  _ they knew his cock had been inside their sacred Omega child and he had deflowered and plundered and took their son apart in more ways to count.  _ Surely  _ they did. 

That didn’t mean he wasn’t headed for the guillotine or wouldn’t be fired on the spot. 

After a moment of tension, the King smiled. Gods forbid, he looked ecstatic more than Steve had ever seen before. “So, you and Bucky, hmm? This is an exciting new development. Don’t tell him, but we have suspected he has had quite the crush on you for some time.” Then to the Queen, he added, “See, love, I told you there was no need to worry about getting our son married to a worthy Alpha. Perhaps we’ll live to have grandchildren after all,” he teased and Steve assumed it was an inside joke between the two royals even though neither of them were over the age of fifty-five. 

But his mind snagged on a different part of the King’s words. 

There was no controlling how his eyebrows lifted. “Excuse me, your Majesty, but married? I--” his voice cut off, drawing blank on what he was supposed to say. He’d never trained for a moment like this. Had never dreamed of it either (Although, that was a lie. He’d had plenty of dreams where he lived his days with Bucky at his side, holding the prince, kissing the prince,  _ loving  _ the prince).

Tilting his head at an intimidating inch, the King narrowed his eyes. “Well, what was your plan if not marriage? To quit your job and  _ leave  _ our son?” 

He stared at the King, open mouthed, unable to make any words. That  _ had  _ been his plan. He hadn’t thought any further beyond that. He didn’t want to leave Bucky, but surely the prince would never be allowed to be with the likes of someone like Steve? He was a common bodyguard; Bucky was a goddamn prince. 

“We’ll have additional guards to suitably replace your position since you wouldn’t be able to fully continue being Bucky’s guard at all times, but you must see the benefits of having a relationship with a prestigious bodyguard such as yourself. It’s certainly not a terrible idea,” the Queen added. When she looked at Steve, it felt different than the previous times, almost as if she was accepting him in a new light. “I believe the most important aspect of this arrangement would be that our son would finally have someone-- someone he likes.” 

Everything was moving too fast. He had made a mess of things. He should have talked with Bucky before leaving the prince’s chambers. Now the two of them were practically engaged. None of it made sense. 

He felt as if he should make an excuse to make them reconsider. Perhaps remind them that he was just a commoner and that they were arranging him to their  _ royal  _ son, but it would be an outdated tradition. The only royal member that had to uphold the past traditions of the monarchy was the heir apparent, which was why Princess Rebeca was set on marrying the prince of the neighboring country. Prince James--  _ Bucky--  _ had no expectations of that sort. 

Still, he could deny His Majesty’s suggestion. It would be a bold move, but it was still an option. 

The problem though, was that he was a greedy, greedy man. And what he had wanted the most for so many years was Bucky. 

“You do want to be with our son, right?” the Queen asked. She must have sensed his internal battle. To agree or not to agree; to have his chance with Bucky or not. When he met the Queen’s gaze, there was no missing the concern that filled her eyes. And though he’d never seen the Queen angry ever in his career at the palace, he knew in that moment that she wouldn’t tolerate anyone toying with her child’s emotions. 

It seemed that they had that in common. He wouldn’t allow Bucky to be hurt in any way either. Bucky was his to protect, his to love. 

She was also giving him his last chance to back down. The immediate answer was yes, he cared deeply for Prince James, but to be married so soon? Was that the answer? 

The truth was flying out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I was going to resign, sir.” 

King George looked at him, unimpressed. “Bucky deserves more than a one-night stand.” His hands balled into fists, his heirloom jewelry glinting menacingly. 

“I agree--” he tried to explain but was cut off as a knock sounded at the door. The King ordered for them to enter and Steve found himself looking at Pepper, the woman in charge of all royal press. 

“Your Majesties,” she said, curtseying. “You are needed for a press briefing. They would like to know about the alarm yesterday, in addition to details of Prince James’ absence. And also, we have the first wedding meeting for the day in five minutes.”

“Of course,” the King nodded, before standing up. Steve and the Queen doing the same. King George rounded around his desk, making his way to the entrance, before stopping at Steve’s side and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I expect you will make this right, Steven. Until then, we will hold off your resignation. All of your duty will be assigned fully to Bucky from now on. Dismissed. 

With nothing more to say, he bowed and left the room. 


	4. Chapter 4

Bucky

* * *

He wasn’t surprised when he woke up the next day to find the bed empty but… well, it would have been real nice to bask in the early morning hours with Steve. It shouldn’t have been such a bummer but it was. 

He’d partially expected it, truthfully, because they couldn’t stay in la la land forever. It was the real world they were living in. Steve was a guard who got caught up in the moment and he was a prince who should have known better than to get involved. 

But he was incredibly grateful for the experience and deliciously, beautifully sore. 

Still, he couldn’t stop himself as he reached for the side of his too-large bed where Steve had been throughout the night. The sheets weren’t warm so Steve must have left a few hours ago. He’d probably left right as the sun rose up so that no one would have spotted him. And that didn’t sting. Really. It didn’t. He understood.

He only wondered what would happen now. Would they just go on like nothing happened? He had no way of knowing who Steve was usually scheduled to guard, or if he was even assigned to a member of Bucky’s family. Maybe Steve had moved up in the ranks and did more of the coordination work for the palace. But then the realization of  _ what  _ they did fully clicked inside his head and he felt a sinking feeling in his gut, wondering if maybe Steve had quit because they’d broken the rules. 

Steve was  _ definitely  _ the kind of guy who would probably hold himself up to the punishments associated with breaking the rules-- something that Bucky most definitely  _ wouldn’t  _ do. What was the worst that would happen to him? He’d get a chewing out from his parents maybe, if they had enough spare time to do it. Knowing them, they’d probably give him an official letter or some bullshit that he’d throw in his fireplace before actually acknowledging. 

Steve wouldn’t be so lucky. Which only made him feel even worse. After all, it was his fault that Steve had even stayed to begin with. He’d all but begged for Steve to fuck him and of course, Steve had obliged. He could only hope that Steve wouldn’t quit or worse, be fired. If that were the case, he’d fight his parents on it and make sure Steve would get to stay on. 

Then again, perhaps there was nothing to worry about. Maybe they really would just go on like nothing happened. Maybe they’d pretend they’d spent the night locked in his room in order to avoid whoever had broken in. He assumed the situation hadn’t been that serious in the end since they hadn’t been escorted to a more secure location. Other than the two of them, no one would even know what had transpired between him and Steve. 

He didn’t have much time to worry about it though. He had plans for the day. 

He grabbed his spare cell phone and sent out a few messages to his contacts to see what he could help with for the day. He had a lot to catch up on in the community and there really wasn’t a moment to lose. He was already a day behind schedule and the ‘meeting’ with his parents had been pushed back a few days since they were up to their necks in wedding planning. Certainly he didn’t envy them, but it was time for him to get back into his regular schedule and resume the activities that had kept him busy before leaving. He had a life, too, and it most definitely didn’t revolve around stupid royal weddings. 

His friend got back to him right away, letting him know that she would be waiting for him at one of the humanity houses located in the city. Apparently it was the perfect day to visit because they had an outing planned for the younger orphanage kids. They were the kids that were abandoned at birth or whose parents had lost their parental rights. It was a cause near and dear to his heart, which was also how he met and became friends with Darcy, who managed the home. 

He got dressed in an ensemble that he’d have to sneak out of the palace to keep wearing, but he knew he could do it. His skinny jeans and loose shirt definitely wouldn’t be screaming royalty but it was always a rare chance that he wouldn’t be identified quickly. Usually no one ratted him out at the orphanages so that was probably why he enjoyed going to much and why he was in such a hurry to leave. 

It was right after he ran down the first flight of stairs that he realized he wasn’t so much excited to go visit Darcy and the kids, but also because he wanted to hide from Steve as long as humanly possible. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. 

As he blurred down the second flight, he peeked over his shoulder, not surprised to find one of the guards trailing him, speaking into what must have been his earpiece. Therefore it wasn’t much of a shock when he made it to the side exit near the private gardens and Clint was there waiting for him, grinning in a way that said ‘ _ ha-ha, I beat you _ ’. As if Bucky had really been one second away from getting into his own car and speeding away like a madman. 

They both knew he wouldn’t have made it past the gates without the entire Royal Guard being alerted. Trust him, he would know. 

“You know,” he sighed, “I think you should take more time off.” 

Clint grinned. “And risk getting blessed on a daily basis by your presence? I think I’ll have to pass.” 

He refrained from rolling his eyes, but just barely. “Well, whatever it is that you do in your free time has to be more… stimulating than following me around all day. In fact, if you want, we could split up past the gates and meet up later. Just drop me off at--”

“No can do Buck-o,” Clint shook his head before grimacing. “Whoops, I mean, Your Royal Highness. Where are we going?” 

He groaned. “Please don’t start with that.” It was hard sometimes to remember than even if he considered Clint his friend, Clint was just like Steve. A guard. Clint kept his back straight, his shoulders perfectly in place in his suit, looking all the part of what his job detailed. “And you know what? I make the rules so I think we’ll stick with you calling me Bucky.” 

“Whatever you say, Your Royal Highness.” 

He shot Clint a look. “We’re heading to the group home. From there Darcy says they’re going on an outing.” 

“What does that mean, exactly?” Clint frowned. “I’ll need to have clearance and back up in case we’re going someplace crowded.” 

He shrugged. “I have no idea.” 

“Bucky, I should really know all of the places we plan on going today so we can prepare and have your security team ready before we arrive. It should be fine today, but in the future--” 

Again, he groaned but he at least nodded in understanding. He didn’t want to make Clint’s job harder than it already was. “I know. I would have given you the entire agenda if I had known about it before a literal hour ago. In the future, I promise, but for now I’m already behind on what I want to get done so let’s go. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

“Your Highness! Prince James.” 

They both turned around to find Steve hustling down the paved lot toward them. He wore a fresh uniform that was identical to Clint’s: a black suit along with an earpiece. His mouth went dry just at the sight. For more than one reason. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked a bit sharply. He shot a glance at Clint. Clint stood at attention, losing his relaxed demeanor he usually had with Bucky. Steve was Clint’s superior and it was frowned upon for the guards to get too friendly with the family so of course things had to change, no matter what Bucky preferred. 

Steve’s blue eyes never left him. “I’ve been assigned to you,” Steve said. The Alpha’s face was kept blank, not looking at him with the flush of desire Steve had just twenty four hours ago. Good for him for being able to turn it off. 

His brows shot up. “Uh, what now?” 

“You’re my responsibility. I’ll be taking over your security detail. Today, tomorrow, the next day. Wherever you go, I go.” Steve said it so casually, as if it wasn’t a huge deal at all. 

So maybe to him it wasn’t? Maybe it didn’t matter to Steve that he had literally been the first and only person to ever be inside of Bucky. Maybe he didn’t care. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to stick around in the morning because none of it had mattered. Maybe it had just… been a fuck-- a useless,  _ meaningless  _ few rounds of fucking.

He bit into his cheek, scowling at the man in front of him. If only he was as good as controlling his face as Steve. He shook his head. “No. You’ve never been assigned to me before. Why now?” He looked to Clint for help, but the man merely kept looking forward as if he wasn’t part of the conversation. Clint had gone into full bodyguard more.  _ Ugh _ . “I’m going to be late if we don’t leave now. You can just stay here and we’ll figure this out later?” 

Steve didn’t budge. “No. I will be handling your security detail today. Then later, I will work on having your schedule planned out well in advance.” 

Was he  _ serious _ ? Did he always act like this or was he just putting up a front because of Clint? Either way, Steve was a beefy, grade-A,  _ asshole _ . And he was pissing Bucky off. First the Alpha tells him no--  _ no? who the hell tells him no? _ \-- and then Steve’s trying to take away the slim ounce of freedom that Bucky has left. He doesn’t do schedules in advance. He does what he wants, when he wants, whenever the hell he wants. Fuck schedules. Fuck having an entire horde of guards trailing after him like he’s-- 

He crossed his arms and raised his chin in the air. He didn’t stomp his foot but he could have, if he wanted. “I don’t do that stuff.” 

“You do now,” Steve told him and then walked right past him. 

Bucky’s jaw dropped. 

“Personally, I’ve always felt that you didn’t have enough attention on your security so now you will. Your schedule will be planned in advance and if I feel that you need more guards, I will assign them immediately. Now,” Steve opened the passenger side door of the front vehicle and looked back at them-- him. “You said you were in a hurry?” 

His brain was haywired, scrambled, fried. Had it been anyone else, he would have given them a piece of his mind. Maybe shout a bit. Maybe declare that the person be removed from his immediate vicinity. But it was  _ Steve  _ and Bucky’s throat was quite literally  _ refusing  _ to back talk the man. It certainly wasn’t fair. 

Without saying another word, Steve reached over and opened the back seat door. Steve’s head tilted to the side, eyes never leaving Bucky, as if daring him to say otherwise. 

No one moved for a handful of seconds. The tension was intense as hell and he knew without a doubt that he couldn’t let Steve think that he was winning but…  _ but _ . He hadn’t prepared for seeing Steve so soon. He had wanted to have a conversation with the man but this most definitely wasn’t anywhere  _ near  _ what he had initially wanted. 

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Steve looked at him like that. Or that Steve looked that good. Or that Steve was pretending he hadn’t quite literally split Bucky open the night before with his enormous, splendid, perfect cock of his. 

He let his arms fall to his sides. He wasn’t letting Steve win but for now he would let the Alpha think he had. 

So, with a deep breath and one final glance toward Clint, he stepped toward the vehicle. Toward Steve. But before he ducked down into the car, he grabbed at the door, his hand grazing where Steve’s was. “This discussion isn’t over,” he said, raising his brows. “I’ll discuss this with the king and queen when we return.” It was a bluff. His parents would be on Steve’s side. 

Steve stayed stoic as ever, but surely Bucky’s eyes weren’t playing a trick on him and Steve’s lips quirked upward just the slightest bit. “Of course, Your Highness. I wouldn’t doubt that, which is why I’ve already run everything by them. They’re on my side. I’ve filled them in on the details.” 

His blood ran cold. So Steve had gone straight from Bucky’s bed to his dad’s quarters? His stomach knotted as the knowledge of Steve’s betrayal sunk in. What had Steve told them? His mind raced with all of the possibilities but before he could do or say anything, Steve was ushering him into the vehicle and closing the door behind him. He didn’t bother scooting in all the way as Clint and Steve got into the front seats. The vehicle started and Bucky turned his attention toward the window, lost in his thought, only after a few seconds of not moving, he glanced back to the front of the car. His brows raised as he saw Steve’s hand slightly raised toward the steering wheel. 

His gaze shifted upward and he just about choked on his goddamn spit as he met Steve’s waiting gaze in the rearview mirror. “Seatbelt,” Steve told him. Nothing more, nothing less. It was rare that he ever strapped in but after holding Steve’s gaze for one second, then two, he decided the battle just wasn’t worth it. The war would have to occur some other time.

Wordlessly, he reached up and pulled the strap in place. The click of the buckle locking into place echoed in the quietness of the car. 

It was then that two of Steve’s fingers signaled Clint to progress on. 

***

“Have we closed the streets to the location and alerted the neighboring businesses that we’ll be in the area?” Steve asked Clint, not him, which only served to irritate him more. 

The drive was supposed to be quick but five minutes in and Steve had yet to not ask a question. 

Behind Steve, he rolled his eyes. “I’m the youngest child,” he drawled out, bored. “I’m not the heir apparent and I’m certainly not the King. We don’t need to do all this extra stuff. There is no need to disrupt the lives of citizens just because I want to enjoy a day in the city.”

“I beg to differ,” Steve told him without hesitation, his gaze briefly snagging Bucky’s once again through the rearview mirror. “I don’t think that’s the best idea.” 

“I don’t think you have a choice,” he said back. 

He watched as Steve took a deep breath, his massive chest filling out with it. “Perhaps today you’re right. It’s too late to have a full plan in place for where we’re going, but from now on we will follow protocol.” 

He wanted to ask why. Yes, he’d always lived his life practically nestled in dozens of security guards but it had never been as strict as Steve was making it now. He’d always been given the freedom of his trips into the city, usually never having to take more than Clint. This was most definitely a huge difference. And he didn’t quite like it. Not one fucking bit. 

He wanted to put blame on the upcoming wedding or even the fact that members of the extended royal family would be arriving at the castle in the next upcoming days but it didn’t seem justifiable. Maybe it was because of what had happened between them? It felt like a dream now, or maybe a cruel joke that just twenty hours earlier they had been together, joined in the most intimate way instead of arguing in the strange way they were now. He knew Steve was slightly obsessed with the rules, but this was his life. And he’d be damned if he was gonna let anyone ruin it. 

Even if that person was someone who he’d believed to have been in love with. If Steve wanted to play, then he best believe that Bucky was going to fucking play. 

***

Arriving at the house was exactly as Bucky knew it would be when they went into the back entrance. No media had been alerted, no mass of people were waiting on the sidewalks, no helicopters were circling overhead. He gave Steve the best  _ ‘I-told-you-so’ _ look he could muster before stepping through the doors. 

His friend Darcy squealed when she saw him and just about leapt into his arms, giving him a big hug. “It’s been so long!” 

He laughed. “You know I wanted to be gone for years. I settled on just a few months because I knew I would miss you all too much.”

“As if you could stay away from us!” She yanked at his arm playfully. “You would never leave us for that long.” 

His cheeks were starting to hurt from how wide he was smiling. But the truth was that he thrived being around her because she treated him like a normal, everyday person. She put him to work and made him pull his weight. She knew he wasn’t just here for a photo opportunity because she’d made it a rule that no pictures were to be taken while he was there. 

“It was tempting,” he teased. “But you're right, I did miss you.” 

“Hi Cint,” she said before pulling the guard in for a hug as well. But then she was turning toward Steve and offering her hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” 

Steve looked down at her hand but didn’t shake it. “Steven Rogers,” he said. “Can you tell me where we’ll be located today and what security measure you have in place while the prince is here? The prince’s safety is my only priority and unfortunately, it seems as if this outing wasn’t planned in advance.”

Darcy’s eyebrows flew up and she looked over at him. He just shrugged. 

“Uh… well, we plan on hanging out with the preschoolers. We’ll be reading books and playing with blocks. You’re welcome to wait outside and guard the door.” She crossed her arms as he snorted. 

“Steve, this is my home away from home. We do not now, and never have, followed exact protocol for security. I’m sure you noticed the lack of attention outside. No one cares about me being here. It’s a perk. So  _ please _ , stand down and relax. We’re here to have fun.” He patted Steve’s solid shoulder, which was a mistake. It didn’t take long for the heat of the Alpha’s body to radiate through his arm and he remembered just how broad Steve’s shoulders were, and how strong too, considering how his legs had been draped over them not that long ago. No matter how angry he was at Steve, Steve was still one hell of a specimen. 

Steve’s jaw was set, but he nodded. “As long as we don’t stay for too long.” 

“Actually, we planned on taking all of the kids to the museum,” Darcy chimed in. “I know that Bucky will want to go. His favorite exhibit is here.” 

“Really? The space mission is back?” 

‘Yep. And apparently they have chocolate planetary systems for sale, too.”

He literally beamed, jumping up and down a little in his excitement. Steve blinked at him like he didn’t recognize him. “What?” he asked. “I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. Ooh--,” he turned back to Darcy, “--and what about the wooly mammoth?” 

Darcy shook her head. “The prehistoric exhibit is coming in two weeks, so you’ll have to come back.” 

“Great. I guess I’ll have to put it on my schedule,” he said pointedly, sneaking a glance at Steve. The guy had to think Bucky was some sort of child, which was embarrassing considering the time they’d spent together, but Steve was biting back a smile. It was almost as if Steve was biting the inside of his cheek so that he wouldn’t fully show his expressions. He was probably used to the boring schedules that Rebecca had, with her board meetings and diplomatic get-togethers with heads-of-state and blah, blah, blah. Bucky got to do the fun events with kids. 

“Well, we better get started. The kids are excited to go. We have the whole place to ourselves, until noon,” Darcy informed them. 

“Perfect,” he grinned. “Let me know whatever I can do to help.” 

“You'll just be another set of eyes today because you know how they get when they are out of this place.” 

He nodded. “I'm excited to see them,” he said. He always loved this part of his life, spending time with kids and Darcy. Being able to share fun adventures with the kids who might not typically get to do all the fun things. 

They approached the pre-school room door and even with it closed, he could hear the chaotic screaming of four and five-year-olds. “Let’s do this,” he said with a grin. He glanced at Steve and watched as the big, bad Alpha sucked in a breath and rolled his shoulders back. 

He ignored what that did to his insides and followed Darcy into the room. 

* * *

Steve

* * *

He was tired. Bone-weary, can’t-take-another-step tired. 

He hadn’t been that exhausted since his bodyguard training. He had been guarding the royal family for years, planning their outings, researching the safest, most secure ways to keep them from those that meant hard. He had followed the family to board meetings, state dinners, athletic events of all types, and charity galas, but  _ never  _ had he participated in an outing like the one he attended with Bucky. 

Only ten kids had gone to the museum, but they were energetic and they hung onto Bucky like he was the center of their world. He almost hadn’t believed the camaraderie they had. Bucky had never met these kids before, but they loved him. And they played with him like he was the best thing since electricity. One little girl hadn’t let go of Bucky’s hand the entire time they were there. She had one hand in his while the other hand held a raggedy teddy-bear. Bucky kept close to her, all the while managing the other kids with ease. 

Meanwhile, he hadn’t been sure where to even look.

Thankfully, they were the only people at the museum. Still, his eyes never left Bucky. He watched the young prince with awe as he played with the kids. It made guarding him difficult. Not because he couldn’t protect Bucky, but because he wanted to be a part of the event instead of just an observer. His job was to not get involved but Bucky already had him wrapped around his finger. 

He wanted to laugh with Bucky when he played with the kids. He wanted to join in on their games and help Bucky wrangle the adorable little creatures. The Omega had a knack for dealing with kids and it made Steve’s heart squeeze as he watched him, picturing the kids a blend of them both and calling him ‘dad’. But he wasn’t able to be anything other than Bucky’s bodyguard. 

… At least not today. 

But even with the king and queen’s blessing and the knowledge that they’d likely be getting married, he knew that he would never be their first choice for Bucky. 

It was late by the time they arrived back at the castle. Standard protocol was that each member of the royal family had one guard with them while they were inside the palace. Bucky at least knew that rule. 

“Steve,” Bucky said once they were inside the guarded walls, “Clint can handle it from here. I’m sure you have other things to do so until next time.” 

“Actually,” he interjected. He bit back a smile. His Omega wanted to get rid of him--  _ ha _ !-- that just wasn’t going to happen. Bucky’s safety was more than a job now, and Steve’s orders came from a place higher than Bucky’s position. “I will be taking over. Barton, feel free to have the night off.” 

Barton looked from him to the prince as if not sure who to listen to. But, Steve was his superior, so he won out. 

Bucky’s jaw clenched at the realization and he breathed out heavily through his nose. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “Thank you, Clint. I’ll see you soon.” 

Barton nodded and left quietly, and the two of them started to walk into the hall. 

As soon as Barton was gone, however, Bucky rounded on him. “When exactly are you off duty?” Bucky asked, his voice sharp with irritation bleeding through. 

“I live here just like you. Technically, I’m never off duty but my next break doesn’t start for another twelve hours if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Bucky stopped walking and faced him fully. They stood in the middle of the hallway. He was too close to Bucky, but he didn’t care. He wanted to be close enough to breathe in Bucky’s scent. 

But upclose, he was able to see Bucky’s irritation fade into something more vulnerable, something that was gentle and almost frightened. “Steve… why are you doing this? If this is because we--”

“It’s not,” he said before Bucky could finish. “You and I need to talk about the last few days and what’s going to happen--” 

A round of laughter stopped them in their tracks as Princess Rebecca, her betrothed Omega, and the king’s nephews Prince Thomas and Prince Douglas came rounding the corner. He took a step back, keeping the appropriate distance between himself and Bucky. 

“Bucky! There you are!” Prince Thomas exclaimed, rushing forward to pull Bucky in for a hug. Steve had met the king’s nephews multiple times throughout the years, yet no matter how many times he saw Prince Thomas, it was almost frightening how much he resembled Bucky. Which was quite hilarious considering Prince Thomas and Prince Douglas were twins and didn’t look a lick alike. Him and Bucky on the other hand were damn near identical that when they were in the room together, most couldn’t tell them apart. 

Steve could, though. He always could. 

“We’ve been waiting on you for ages,” Prince Thomas continued on. “We’re on our way to the games room, come with us?” 

“Sure,” Bucky said, happiness etched on every inch of his face as he stepped out of Prince Thomas’ embrace. Then, Bucky looked toward him and brought his voice down so that his words were only heard by Steve. “Surely if I’m with them you don’t need to be so close. I’ll be just fine on my own.” 

His Omega was a tricky one, but he was more than capable of playing Bucky’s games. 

He shook his head. “That won’t be happening. We will finish our discussion later.” 

Bucky narrowed his eyes. “I think you are forgetting which one of us is in charge here. You do not have a claim over me, Steve.” 

The princes had already started walking again but Princess Rebecca stayed back, waiting. She was walking closer too, until she was close enough to link her arm in Bucky’s. “Everything alright, here?” she asked. Her eyes weren’t narrowed, but she was certainly looking at him as if she was extracting an explanation from him. 

“Nothing,” Bucky answered, smiling at his sister before properly introducing himself to Rebecca’s betrothed, Prince John, for the first time. “Now, let’s go play.” 

Bucky walked alongside Prince John and was not so subtly trying to pull his sister along, except the princess wasn’t budging. Princess Rebecca was actually looking right at him and her gaze darted between him and Bucky so briefly that if it wasn’t for his prestigious training, he would have missed it. “We’ll all play. Come on Steve, you can join us too. I’ll have T.J. and Doug guard the door,” she said with a laugh. 

He had no choice but to follow. 

***

Given the amount of royal family members that they had in the room, there were four guards stationed outside the door and himself in the room with the family. Other guards had tried to enter the room as well, but one command from the Princess had them staying put in the hall. 

The twins were already in the room when they arrived. Each held a set of darts in their hands. “About time you all showed up,” Prince Douglas teased and that’s all it took for Steve to see the family be a real  _ family _ . No titles or expectations, just a normal, everyday family. 

It was rare for the family to be together without something formal requiring their attention. The twins being at the castle only occurred a few times out of the year so them being there obviously meant the world to both Bucky and Princess Rebecca. Their arrival was a few days early but Steve had been alerted to the change days prior. This was supposed to be the time before the chaotic storm of the royal wedding went into full effect. 

He hadn’t seen much of Princess Rebecca’s betrothed and neither had the rest of the family, really so it was a bit awkward and he didn’t blame the prince when he excused himself to call his parents.

In a room full of Alphas, Bucky was the one to bring up the obvious question. “So why have you been hiding Prince John from the family?” he asked his sister. “Not that I blame you, of course, because this family has lost their shit  _ long  _ ago.” 

It was a stark contrast between the daggers he had glared at Steve, to the smiles and teasing he directed at his family. Steve wanted that. He wanted the smiles and teasing. And more.  _ Fuck _ . He’d messed it up so badly that he was scared there was no fixing it. 

The princess rolled her eyes, an action he’d never seen from her in all the years he’d been on the guard. “John isn’t from a… vocal family. They literally only see each other on major holidays so it’s been a bit much for him. I think it’ll get easier once we’re married because then we’ll be allowed to be in the same room without a chaperone.” 

Bucky’s eyes widened. “You two still have to have a chaperone? Have you gotten to spend any time with him during the wedding planning?” 

The princess shook her head. “I can honestly say that I have had more conversations with you in the past hour than I have had with my intended.” 

Bucky made a face at that. “Yeahh… good luck with that.” 

Princess Rebecca hummed. “Enough of that though. I want to hear everything about your trip.” 

Bucky’s face lit up with joy, making Steve wish he’d had the chance to ask Bucky about his work in South Africa, but they hadn’t really had any time together where they weren’t in bed or sniping at one another. At least he got to sit there and watch Bucky tell his family about it. He could at least pretend him and Bucky were having a conversation and no one else was in the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guysss I'm stuck on the ending... if I were to ask you what you want to see for this story closing do you guys want mpreg to be in this fic or no? My other ABO fics have it so I'm curious if I should follow the pattern or just leave it kid-less.


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky

* * *

Spending time with family was always something Bucky enjoyed especially if his parents weren’t around. Not that he  _ didn’t  _ like his parents being around, it was just… it was hard to take the ‘royalness’ from the king and queen. If they were around, none of them were ever free to act and talk however they wanted. They weren’t able to slouch or curse or gods forbid-- laugh a decibel too loud. 

Even Becca, with her overly princess attitude, had let her hair down. Literally. 

And then there was the whole Steve thing, who had stayed the entire time. It was almost as if he was one of them, like he was… what? His partner? His  _ husband _ ? Yeah… right. He hadn’t expected a love confession after spending his heat together nor Steve flat out ignoring that night, but this whole following Bucky around every move and not letting him out of Steve’s sight? He damn sure wasn’t prepared for that either. 

He hadn’t even had a spare moment to himself to just sit and think and process all what had occurred between the two of them. He had shared his heat with the only man who had captured Bucky’s attention years ago and hadn’t let go since. It  _ should  _ have been a mistake, but Bucky didn’t regret it. He never wanted to forget what it felt like to have Steve fill him up, stretching him open, making him lose his absolute  _ mind  _ in his release. It had been magic but it had also complicated the living fuck out of everything. Steve had ethics that were literally a mile long and apparently wouldn’t dream of mixing his job with pleasure. The message was clear: Steve wasn’t his, and never would be. 

Besides, he was sure that there were numerous Omegas, or maybe even Betas, that were outside the palace lining up just for a glimpse of Steve. Why go for the one who came with so much extra baggage? Courting a fucking prince was most definitly not in anyone’s agenda. 

When they walked back to his quarters, Steve had his hand on the small of Bucky’s back. That definitely wasn’t a thing the bodyguards did, unless it was necessary. He could only wonder if Steve did that with his other charges but he most definitely couldn’t recall the Alpha ever getting that handsy with Becca or, god-forbid, Bucky’s parents. Either way, he quite liked it. In fact, he liked it  _ alot _ . 

“What do you do with your time off?” he asked Steve, glancing over at the blond as the both of their sides brushing together. 

Steve looked back at him. His brows furrowed just the slightest bit. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, I know you’re one of the few guards that actually lives in the palace and you have your own room.” 

“Right.” 

He looked away from Steve, choosing to keep his gaze forward. He bit into his lip. “So-- so do you keep an apartment or house in the city? Do you have a partner out there?” 

He could feel Steve’s eyes on him. They were practically searing holes into the side of Bucky’s head. “Are you asking if I have a boyfriend?” Steve asked. 

“Or a fiancé or husband. I don't know your life.” Bucky shrugged a shoulder as if Steve’s answer didn’t bother him. 

“Is that the type of man you think I am? Do you think that I would have been with you just yesterday if that were the case?” 

He blinked, forcing his face to remain emotionless. It was not an easy task. “Like I said,” he licked at his lips, “I don’t know your life.” 

Steve chuckled. It was a nice, rumbling sound. “No, I have no one. In fact, besides running to the city for groceries or whatever, I rarely leave the palace.” 

“ _ Really _ ?” he said, finally looking over. He knew his face had to be looking all kinds of ridiculous because the words that Steve had said were just that insane. Who would want to stay locked up here when they had the freedom of the world out there? “Why?” he pushed. 

The Alpha shrugged. “I know this place isn’t really my home, but it is, sort of.” 

“Well of course it is,” he agreed quickly. “You live here.” 

“Well, yeah,” Steve nodded, “but it’s also my job and I shouldn’t let the two of those intertwine.” 

And there it was. Again. The painful lurch in his stomach was starting to feel familiar now. Rejection hadn’t been something his younger self had thought he’d suffer with but boy did it fucking suck. His life would have been so much easier if he had been trapped in an arrangement like Becca. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe he could save himself the heartache and ask his parents to find a royal Alpha for him. Somewhere far, far, far away from Steve. 

“Right,” he murmured. “Not like you did yesterday?” 

Steve grimaced, nodding. “Exactly. And speaking of that, we really need to talk.” They were outside the door to his quarters now, and Steve’s hand reached out to grab a hold of Bucky’s arm, stopping him. He turned to face the Alpha, determined to keep his head held high even though he was ready to break. He could feel the pressure building up, knowing the tears were barely being held at bay. Steve would  _ not  _ get to see him cry. The Alpha could stand there and tell him that it had been a mistake and that it wouldn’t happen again but he would not get to see Bucky shed a tear. 

“Here in the hall or do you want to come inside?” he asked, nodding his head towards his door. 

Steve’s gaze lingered on the door, but he shook his head. “It’s best if I stay out here. But you and I really do need to talk.” 

Was Steve really trying to make him cry? He would not, would not,  _ would not _ . But his throat was starting to clamp up and he had to look away before Steve noticed how shiny his eyes were starting to get. 

“Um, can it wait till morning? I’m a little tired,” he lied. 

He could tell that Steve didn’t really like that answer, but the man nodded nonetheless. “Okay. I mean, sure that’s-- but first thing--” 

“Ah, there you are.” 

Steve jumped back at the sound of his father’s voice. It was hard for him to remember sometimes that while he saw the King as his dad, to everyone else George Barnes was  _ King George _ . 

Steve gave a slight bow. “Your Majesties,” he said. 

His dad must have been returning home from some event. He was decked out in a pristine tux, but his tie was undone and his security detail trailed behind him. “It appears that the two of you had the chance to talk. That’s perfect, truly,” his dad said. 

Bucky’s brows shut up and he looked between Steve and his father. “Talk about what?” he asked. Something was… wrong. He could feel the shift in the air. His eyes narrowed as he looked back toward Steve. Surely Steve hadn’t… Oh fuck, Steve wouldn’t meet his gaze. 

Steve cleared his throat. “We just returned from the games room. We haven’t had the chance to talk yet. We had a busy day.” 

“Of course,” the king said, nodding. “Still, I’ve made room in my schedule next Friday so that we can sit down and discuss the plans for the wedding.” 

What? He glanced at his dad to make sure he wasn’t staggering on his feet, but his dad looked perfectly healthy. And happy, too. Almost insanely so. His brows knitted together in confusion. “I received the pamphlet with all the information. And the whole binder about the schedule, the agenda, what I’m supposed to wear, and when I have my fittings scheduled. What else could there possibly be that we need to discuss?” 

“No, not your sister’s wedding,” his dad answered. “Yours.” 

Silence. Struck-dumb silence. The kind that rang in his ears and had him honing in on his own goddamn heartbeat. Surely he hadn’t heard correctly. 

“My what now?” He glanced at Steve and his stomach dropped. What had Steve done? Steve stared at his feet, instead of keeping his back straight and gaze forward like normal. 

“You and Steve’s,” his dad continued. “Now, since I know you so well, I figure you’ll want something small and simple. But of course, if you want to have something more lavish we can go with that as well.” 

“I… I…” his mind raced and it was as if the world was spinning around him. 

Steve rubbed the back of his head with his hand, finally looking up at him. “It’s the simplest solution. And after yesterday…” 

“ _ Wait _ .” This was not happening. It couldn’t be. This had to be a sick joke. But no, neither of them looked like they were on the verge of laughing. “You-- you want us to get married just because we had sex?” he practically shouted, not caring which staff members overhead. Not that it mattered. Apparently their relationship or lack of, was all over the castle already. 

He rounded on Steve. “Do you marry  _ everyone  _ you have sex with?” 

“Bucky! For goodness sakes!” His father put a hand to his chest like what he’d said was scandalous. “This was hardly all on Steven. Your mother and I think this would be best, for the both of you, if we kept the scandal quiet--” 

“Scandal? Hardly,” he scoffed. “No one would have even known if someone hadn’t opened their big--” 

“I’m going to  _ pretend  _ that I don’t know what words were about to come out of your mouth because no son of mine will talk that way,” his father said and Bucky’s mouth snapped close. “If the press were to find out about this affair, they’d have a field day and we can’t risk the negative headlines with your sister’s wedding so close. Plus, this way Steven can continue his position in the Royal Guard. It works out for everyone.” 

Right. Everyone. Because Steve would be assigned to his detail all the time and there was nothing more fun than being thrown right back into the life he had tried to get away from. He wanted to make his  _ own  _ decisions. Was that too much to ask? 

Apparently so. 

He took a deep breath. His resolve turned to granite. He may have had feelings for Steve that he dared admit bordered on love, but right now he wanted to forget Steve ever existed. “Well,” he said, wanting nothing more than to crawl into his bed and pulling the curtains closed all around him. “It appears everything’s been decided. I’m so happy that you all informed me. Just go ahead and forward me the date so that I don’t arrive late for my own wedding.” 

“Bucky, don’t be a child. It’s best for everyone if this situation just gets resolved,” the king stated. His tone alone told Bucky that he wasn’t permitted to argue. It didn’t matter. He didn’t have the energy to do that anyway. 

But, he shook his head. “No,” he said faintly. “It’s what’s best for the crown.  _ Always  _ the crown.” He put his hand on the doorknob, inches away from his escape. 

Steve’s voice calling his name was the only thing that stopped him. He looked toward the Alpha. “What? Can you think of a reason for us to get married? Besides the crown and whatever stupid reason we need to cover up this scandal. Any reason at all?” 

Steve opened his mouth, then closed it. He tore his gaze away from Bucky and shook his head. 

That was all he needed to know. 

He let out a humorless laugh. It hurt just to listen to. “Right,” he breathed. “I’m tired and I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” He didn’t let either of the men say another word as he pushed his way into his room and shut the door behind him. He didn’t move though. His back pressed against the solid oak as he tried to calm himself, blinking back the tears. 

He was so done. Fuck all of this. He didn’t have a lot of time and he didn’t have a plan, either, but one way or another, he was escaping this hell hole. Tonight. There had been too many times when he’d been pushed to do things he didn’t want all for the sake of the stupid crown, for the country, no one ever taking into consideration of the things he wanted. He’d grown used to it for some things but not for this. Not for marrying a man that didn’t love him or didn’t choose him. 

And definitely not for the crown.

* * *

Steve

* * *

Much to his surprise, Bucky canceled all of his public appearances for the next week. Given there weren’t many, but he was still surprised that the prince didn’t plan on at least following up on some of his charity organizations, or at least getting together with his friends. Bucky had been away for some time so didn’t he want to catch up with those he hadn’t seen? 

Having nothing on his calendar made things easy for him but it tugged at him that Bucky was holed up in his room. Every hour he fought with himself to go and seek out the prince. He wished he could talk with Bucky, but what could he say?  _ ‘I’m sorry your parents want us to get married?’  _ Yeah, cause that would go so well. Going off of Bucky’s reaction, even the  _ thought  _ of possibly marrying him was a nightmare. Was it really so terrible that Bucky had to marry him? Sure Bucky could do better, but he wasn’t that bad of a catch. Right? 

They had enjoyed their time together when Bucky was in heat. They had made the decision to be together, and now the king wanted them to remain together to avoid a scandal. What choice had he had? 

He decided to throw himself into his work to give Bucky time to himself. With nothing on Bucky’s schedule he was able to attend the meetings to close out and transfer his duties regarding the royal wedding to other members of the guard. 

He wasn’t as upset to see the work go as he thought he would be. When he had been assigned to lead security for the royal wedding, he had been ecstatic, proud of himself for getting that far in his career and being entrusted with such a prominent role. But now, he had a different purpose. One that involved Bucky and never leaving his side. It may not have been a fairytale romance, but they would make the most of it and he would be a damn good husband to Bucky no matter what. 

Still, there was a lot of work to do before he could devote his time to Bucky completely. 

***

It was three full days before he finally gained the courage and knocked on Bucky’s door. He’d been keeping close wraps on Bucky every detail by questioning all of the guards assigned to Bucky’s door. From what they said, Bucky had only left his room for meals.

He didn’t like the idea of Bucky sulking so once day three arrived, he refused to sit around one minute longer. He would talk to Bucky and make this all right. 

He knocked again and waited, then knocked again after standing there for a minute. He cleared his throat. “Bucky?” Saying the prince’s name out loud for all ears to hear without the formal title attached to it was odd, but he knew he should get used to it. 

Again, he knocked. 

“Bucky, can I please come in?” He wasn’t about to go in without being invited, but technically he had the authority. All it would take would be one turn of the knob and he would be able to push his way in. But that would be an invasion of Bucky’s privacy and he wanted Bucky to let him in. 

“Finally got a free moment to come around?” 

He spun around and was startled for a moment to find Prince Thomas in front of him. Almost an exact copy of Steve’s Omega, only slightly different. The way the prince was dressed just then, he would have sworn it  _ was  _ Bucky. In fact, those were definitely Bucky’s skinny jeans and he would have recognized that distressed white tee anywhere because it always showed off Bucky’s collarbones. But then he realized that Prince Thomas never dressed like that so why would he be wearing his cousins clothes? 

Instantly, anxiety flooded him. He narrowed his eyes. “Prince Thomas. How may I help you?” 

The look on the prince’s face fell. “How do you know it’s me?” 

He raised his brows. “Why would you be pretending to be someone else?” 

The prince ignored him, cursing to himself. “I knew it. I  _ told  _ him it was going to be you that blew it all to shit.” 

“Excuse me? Blew what to where?” 

Prince Thomas’ head picked up and he looked at Steve as if remembering he wasn’t alone. The royal sighed heavily, crossing his arms across his chest. “It’s worked a few times over the years but you weren’t ever assigned to him. There’s only a few dozen that we can still fool.” 

He could feel his heart kick up a notch, his stomach lurching painfully. His spine straightened, his shoulders rounded out and his jaw clenched almost painfully. “Where is he?” he grounded out. A dozen scenarios played out in his mind and all of them were making him feel like he needed to find Bucky immediately or else he might die. 

But much to his irritation, Prince Thomas grinned. “You know, you really should have talked to Bucky first before going to his parents.” 

“Where is Bucky?” 

“Sure, marriage to avoid a scandal sounds like a great idea, but did it ever occur to you to ask your Omega how  _ he  _ felt?” 

Steve may have been the taller of the two but it sure didn’t feel that way. Not with how the prince was nearly glaring at him. 

“I think that is between Bucky and myself. Perhaps you can tell me where he is.” 

Prince Thomas shrugged. “Mmm. I don’t know. He has a three day head start on you. He could be anywhere. His room, the city, or maybe back in South Africa.” 

Never had he ever wanted to lay hands on a member of the royal family. As far as bodyguard duty went, they were easy clients. They understood what was safe and what wasn’t. They behaved respectfully, not like spoiled brats or rebellious jerks. They were low-key, humble, and incredibly down-to-earth. But right now, he was ready to throw down with the prince in front of him. 

“Easy there  _ Rogers _ ,” Prince Thomas chuckled. Steve wanted to knock his teeth in. “My cousin is perfectly safe. He just needed a break. So, I helped make sure he got it.” 

“Can you just tell me where he is?” 

The prince shook his head. “No can do. I won’t be disclosing that information but I  _ do  _ have a number you can call. I am not giving it to you and I am not going to let you see what it is, but I can dial it for you. Besides, Bucky won’t answer a phone call from a number he doesn’t have in his phone already.” 

“How did you get him out of the palace?” 

Prince Thomas’ grin stretched across his smug face. “Who says Bucky is out of the palace?” 

“How did you trick the guards into thinking he was here? I’ve been getting reports that Bucky has been in his room for the past three days.” 

“As  _ if  _ I would give away our secrets.” But then the prince heaved out a long breath and he sucked at his perfectly straight teeth. “Look. I’m supposed to send you running around in circles but these pants are way too fucking tight and I physically feel sad knowing my cousin is depressed as hell. So listen. I wouldn’t be telling you all of this right now if I didn’t think you actually cared about Bucky. You’re just too dumb to say it out loud.” 

In the past he’s been called names but never by the royal family, not like this. Anger didn’t even begin to describe what he was feeling as he balled his fists. He wasn’t about to hit the prince, was he? That would definitely get him thrown in the dungeon for sure. 

But Bucky certainly wouldn’t appreciate that. 

He took in a deep breath, held it in for ten seconds, then blew it out as he unclenched his fists. He needed to find Bucky and talk to him. 

“I think we’re going about this all wrong,” Prince Thomas said a second later, having the decency to look ashamed. He uncrossed his arms and let them fall at his sides. “Just. Let’s just pretend that I’m not a prince right now, all right?” 

“But you  _ are  _ a prince, T.J. Bucky is too.” 

“Yeah well, fuck whatever the protocol is right now. I’m just talking to you as the concerned family member of your Omega. So, let me ask you: Do you care about him? Do you want to be with him? Or are you just trying to cover the royal asses, avoid scandal, and keep the drama out of the press?” 

He groaned out loud. He didn’t want to discuss this with anyone but Bucky. Not now. Not ever. This conversation needed to happen only with his Omega. And to think that Bucky could be anywhere right now, alone, unsafe without Steve to guard him left Steve feeling hollow.

“If you want to talk to Bucky, you have to answer my questions.” 

“T.J., if Bucky is not here, and the Royal Guard doesn’t know where he is, he could be in danger.” 

“He’s not in any danger. Trust me. Do you care about him as more than just a prince because it’s your job? Do you care about him as  _ your  _ Omega?”

“Yes,” he said immediately. Bucky was his as he was Bucky’s. It may have happened fast, but he wasn’t going to deny it. Letting the politics of royal life get in the way of the trust was a mistake, and if he could just talk to him, he could tell Bucky everything. “Bucky means the world to me.” 

T.J. eyed him carefully, but he wasn’t about to wither beneath the prince’s gaze this time. “I believe you,” he said. “It’s just… you don’t need to be professing your love to me. I’m the wrong prince.” He handed Steve a cell phone. “Now here, call the number.” 

He didn’t need to be told twice. The phone was up to his ear and it only rang twice before his Omega’s voice answered. “Hello?” 

“ _ Where are you _ .”

Beside him, the prince slapped a hand on his forehead. He walked a few steps away, shaking his head as he gave them their space. 

“Fuck. T.J. wasn’t supposed to give you my number already. It’s only been three days.” 

“Where. Are. You.” He repeated because the words he wanted to say weren’t coming. He was just happy to hear Bucky’s voice. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the sound of it in the past few days. 

“I’m perfectly fine and perfectly safe. I just needed space.” 

“What you  _ need  _ is to come to your senses and get home immediately.” 

He heard Bucky scoff on the other end. “No, what I need is to come up with a logical argument as to why I don’t need to get married to the only Alpha who has ever shared a heat with me. That one might take some convincing so it will probably take some time.” 

“We can talk about this. I--” 

“Steve, there is nothing to talk about. You were very clear that you wanted to do this for royal reasons, to keep everything neat and tidy and perfect. Well, guess what? It’s not always perfect. I have been away from all of this bullshit for months and everyone survived just fine without me. All that matters is that I’m safe. I’ll find a way to get us out of this situation and then I can go back to doing things I enjoy and you can either get a new job or stay there. I don’t have a preference.” 

“Bucky,  _ please _ . I need to see you. I need to know that you’re okay.” He fought to keep his composure, but his voice wavered, his eyes watering. He felt like he was falling apart. Like his heart was literally being ripped in two. If he didn’t find out Bucky’s location, he knew he’d lose him. He had no way of knowing when Bucky would come back. 

The line was quiet for a long moment as neither of them spoke. Steve held his breath; Bucky let out a long sigh. 

“I promise that I’m fine, Steve. I’m not dumb enough to myself in danger,” the prince said on the other end of the line, his voice hitched when he spoke, like he was holding back tears. Steve’s soul trembled. 

“Please, Bucky, I really think--” 

The phone clicked. 

He jerked the phone away from him as if it personally offended him. Had Bucky hung up? When he glanced at the screen it was just in time to see the call clear away. Bucky had  _ hung up on him.  _

His throat went tight and it was a good thing T.J. pulled the phone from his fingers, otherwise he may have crushed the damn thing in his hands. The prince made a noise in his throat, “Mm. Well, that went--” 

“I’m calling his parents,” he declared. 

T.J. shrugged. “Uncle George and Aunt Winnie just left for some diplomatic thing. They’ll be gone for the next five days. Do you really want to tell them that you lose their  _ only  _ son? Their sweet, fragile, Omega baby boy? And then to tell them that you don’t even know where he is? That sounds like a big waste of royal money, not to mention how bad it will look for them to cancel all of those events. The press will have a field day.” 

He growled. Fuck the royal for being right. He didn’t necessarily care about the press, or the money, but he knew that Bucky wouldn’t want him to alarm the king and queen. Bucky wanted space, and if Steve called the king, Bucky would never get space again. 

“How about you try to fix this in a different way?” T.J. suggested. 

“How? You have to tell me where he is.” 

T.J sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll tell you… when Bucky tells me that he wants you to know where he is.” 

_ Motherfucker _ .


	6. Chapter 6

Bucky

* * *

As soon as he pressed the end call button, he let the phone drop from his hand onto the couch. He’d been able to keep his voice somewhat even as he spoke to Steve for the first time in days, but there was no controlling himself now. Just hearing Steve’s voice had his body clenching almost painfully, his every nerve crying and begging for the man. 

Three days felt like it had been three years and he was unraveling faster than he had ever thought possible. He wished he didn’t understand why he was reacting in such a way, but he knew. Gods, he knew. Steve had never been some mere fuck to sate his heat. No, Bucky had imprinted on the man years back and that one taste had him hooked. There was no denying now that Steve was his Alpha. It would never be possible to go back to how things were before. 

In shorter words, he was fucked. 

He shouldn’t have been as hurt as he was that Steve hadn’t noticed his absence sooner. In all retrospect, three days was an awfully long time for his ‘bodyguard’ to not notice his disappearance. Him and T.J. were no strangers to playing the switcheroo game. T.J. may have been a year older than him, and from entirely different parents, but they were almost identical. Freakishly so. The only thing that kept them apart were a few facial differences and the fact that T.J.’s scent was entirely alpha and that T.J. tended to run his mouth a bit too much, but other than that,  _ twins _ . They’d never let their little game go on for this long before, but it wasn’t as if it was hard to do. T.J. just had to show up at his room, pretend to be Bucky coming in with a meal and leave later as himself. He had expected it to be a day or less before the guards took notice, but somehow T.J. had kept up the charade longer than that. 

It probably helped that Clint was on a short vacation and Steve was too busy with whatever it was he did. Otherwise, he doubted the whole charade would have lasted more than an hour.

But the escape had been exactly what Bucky had needed. When he’d gone to Becca for help after realizing he was going to be trapped in a loveless marriage because of his stupid royal duty, he hadn’t expected that his sister would actually help him escape. Funny enough, it turned out that his sister had her own secrets. 

The apartment in the city where he was currently staying was one of them. It was fully furnished and decorated in an overly modern way that the palace would never allow. The place was perfect for him to hide away, and if he put a baseball cap and sunglasses on, he could even go across the street to the coffee shop. He had groceries delivered on the first day and had been set since. He knew that he’d eventually have to return home, return to his responsibilities as a royal son, and also take care of that other, um, thing that weighed heavily on him. 

His gaze landed on the stick he had been holding in his other hand when the phone rang. Two blue lines had indicated what he had already begun to suspect. Two little blue lines and his whole world was changed forever. 

On its own accord, his free hand drifted to gently splay out against his stomach. It was flat; he’d never had muscles like Steve and because he’d been fed an extremely healthy diet his entire life, he didn’t have much pudge on him either. He supposed that would change soon. 

When he had included a few pregnancy tests in his first grocery order, he hadn’t expected one to turn up positive so soon, but the ones designed for Omegas were incredibly accurate. Still, he’d taken four just to be sure. 

So of course he was pregnant. 

It made sense. Really. He’d gone into heat. He’d spent that heat with an Alpha. And now the two of them were going to have a baby. 

He took a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth as he counted and hoped to calm the nerves that radiated throughout his body. He was electrified with anxiety and it took all he had to keep his hands from shaking. He didn’t want to get married out of necessity for the crown, but for a child?  _ His  _ child? It wasn’t a terrible idea. They would have to at least figure out how to co-parent successfully. A child born out of wedlock would be devastating to his family. He didn’t think a loveless marriage was the answer, but he didn’t want the consequences falling onto his unborn child. If him and Steve didn’t marry, their child would have the legitimacy of their birth questioned at every turn. Headlines would haunt them at every turn and they would grow up getting tarnished by the press. There was no way in  _ hell  _ that he would let his child go through that. This was a bed of his own making, Steve’s too, and now the two of them had to lie in it. 

He would go back and get this all straightened out but first, he wanted to spend some time all by himself to process everything that’s happened. It wasn’t as if the media had found him, and it wasn’t as if his parents were even home to notice his disappearance. His baby wouldn’t be here for nine more months. He had time. 

He let himself sink into the overstuffed sofa in the living room. It was worn from use, but amazingly comfortable, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the thing was secondhand? Otherwise his sister must have spent a lot of time there and that possibility was slim considering she was always tracked at every second, every minute. All he knew was that he was incredibly thankful that she’d shared this sanctuary with him. 

It let him daydream, let him hope for things he didn’t know if he could ever have. Like how it might have been different with Steve if he’d explored the relationship differently. There was no denying that Steve had  _ some  _ feelings for him, even if it was just lust. He just didn’t know if it was ever going to get past that into something more, something deeper. Something like love. 

But that just seemed impossible. Steve couldn’t ever love him like how he loved Steve. 

Still, they were adults. They had a child to think about even if Steve kinda didn’t even know of said child. Maybe all he needed was to have a sit down with Steve and get it all out. And maybe with a little bit of luck, he’d be in for a surprise. Steve couldn’t have faked the desire in his eyes when they were together during his heat. That hadn’t been just lust. It couldn’t have been. 

It had been real. And  _ magical _ . 

He just needed to know if it was forever.  _ His  _ forever. 

* * *

Steve

* * *

He was officially losing his sanity. After his conversation with Bucky, he’d roamed the halls of the palace as he fought with himself on what to do. Part of him demanded that he contact the king and queen immediately because Bucky would  _ listen  _ to them but T.J had been right when he said it would be impossible keeping the press out of their return. 

Plus, he was pretty sure Bucky would take offense if Steve were to get the Majesties involved. 

So he walked and kept walking, deep in thought and with a heavy heart. He knew exactly where it had all went wrong. With every fiber of his being, he regretted leaving that bed. He should have never left. He should have stayed and told Bucky how he felt about him, instead of running to the king and backing Bucky into a corner with this talk of marriage. 

He was so lost in his thoughts that he partially hadn’t realized where he was until he was passing by the eastern wing of the palace. He nodded at the guards that stood at the open door, noting it was Princess Rebecca’s guards, before he continued on his way. 

Only, he stopped as his name was called from within the room. 

“Steve?” 

He turned to look inside the room. Princess Rebecca was sitting at a quilted chair, looking up at him from a book. “You seem… lost,” she spoke gently, her eyes full of pity. “Do you have time to join me? I feel as if we should talk.” 

Did he truly look as lost as he felt? He had thought he’d been putting up a front, but apparently not. He supposed now it made sense why most of the staff had avoided him, including the other fellow guards that were his friends. 

He stepped inside. “Your Majesty,” he greeted, bowing quickly. At the princess’s gesture, he closed the door behind him. He didn’t move until she nodded toward the chair opposite of her. When he settled, her brows lifted and he watched as her lips curled into a slow smile. “I suppose you finally realized that Bucky gave you the slip, hm?” 

He nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he spoke, “however, I’m surprised that you approve of this.” 

The princess waved her hand in the air. “Steve, please, stop with the formalities. It’s Becca to my family, and you will most likely fall under that category soon.” 

“At the rate in which I continuously mess everything up, I have my serious doubts about that,” he admitted lowly. He didn’t know how much Becca knew, or how much Bucky had shared, but clearly she had to know enough to let his disappearance slide. 

The princess leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I think you’re too hard on yourself. About everything, really. But, I understand that you must be going out of your mind with Bucky’s absence. If it means anything, I know he’s safe. We both know that he’s not the dramatic type so when him and T.J. decided to swap each other's spots I knew it was serious. I also knew I couldn’t intervene until he worked it all out for himself.” 

How Becca could let her younger brother out of the castle was beyond him. He could feel himself vibrating beneath his skin with how eager he was to get his Omega back home safe. “You’ve spoken with him?” he asked, biting the inside of his cheeks to avoid growling in frustration. How did no one else understand how serious this was? 

Becca nodded. “Yes,” she answered. “I don’t have all of the details but I have the jist of it. Bucky’s never been one to share his personal affairs to the full extent but he shares enough to keep me from issuing every guard from going after him and dragging him back home,” her lips quirked upwards as she looked at him. “It didn’t take a genius to figure out that his abrupt departure had something to do with you.” 

“And by something, you mean everything,” he corrected. 

Again, she nodded. It turned quiet between them; him lost in thought and her seemingly the same. But then she was closing her book and setting it off to the side, taking a deep breath. When her gaze fell upon him once more, the look on her face was different. The young woman before him was a future queen through and through. It wouldn’t be long before her tiara was replaced with the ancient crowns of the royal monarchs. “I must confess that this all feels like it’s my fault.”

He raised his brow. 

She took another deep breath. “The arrangement between you and Bucky was  _ my  _ idea. Not my parents. I brought it to their attention three weeks before he returned from his trip.” 

What? Surely he couldn’t have heard her correctly. But no, as he continued to stare at her, she didn’t burst out laughing or backpedal and call it a joke. And as the seconds ticked on, he knew that she was serious. He just could understand  _ why  _ she would do it. Before Bucky’s heat, neither of them had so much as spoken a full sentence to each other. So how could she have known? 

When he swallowed, his throat was dry. “Why?” he asked slowly. 

“For many reasons,” she admitted, shrugging. “One, it seemed as if neither of you were ever going to make a move on each other. I’ve sat back and watched the both of you skirt around each other for  _ years.  _ Always looking at each other when the other’s not paying attention. I could always see it on your face. You’ve been gone on him just as much as he is on you.” 

“I’m not going to deny that,” he agreed, but shocked to hell and back that she had even known about his infatuation with her brother. “But considering that I’ve been a worker of your family the entire time, it never seemed appropriate to approach him in any way other than professional. You and him are royals. You marry other royals or prominent people that are just as rich and important, certainly not commoners like myself. So while I appreciate you acknowledging how lost I’ve been on your brother, it doesn’t make sense as to why you would want Bucky with me. He could have anyone.” 

No matter how many times he said it or thought it, it didn’t hurt any less. He would never be good enough for Bucky. He knew it, and soon the entire world would too. Their wedding-- if it was to even happen-- would be announced and people would wonder why  _ him _ . What made him so special that he got to call a castle ‘home’ and a prince ‘husband’? 

She tilted her head, looking at him carefully. The silence was thick as she stared at him. “Is it something you don’t want? Is it Bucky himself or everything else?” she asked, a bit warily. But then she shook her head and straightened up. “Let me ask you something. If Bucky were  _ anyone  _ else out in the world, would you pursue him?”

“In a heartbeat,” he answered. The truth in his words was undeniable. Because had the minute his eyes landed on Bucky anywhere in the world and saw that face and smelled that scent and heard that laugh, he would have glued himself to Bucky’s side and refused to leave. And maybe he  _ had  _ done that under the guise of pretending it was all part of the job. Even when he had been assigned to Becca or the rare times he’d been with the Majesties, it’d always been about Bucky. Watch Bucky. Find Bucky. Protect Bucky. And they both knew it. 

“I would have approached him the minute I saw him,” he whispered. “Bucky means… everything. He is everything to me.”  _ Everything _ . His whole soul, his purpose. During the three months of Bucky’s absence he had been miserable. Sulking at every minute he had to protect the royal family and see that empty spot where his precious Omega belonged. His entire world revolved around Bucky and had done so for years now. 

Slowly, a smile stretched across Becca’s face. “Then there’s your answer. You see him past his titles, past the crown. You see him for him and that’s why I made the push. In this world he needs someone like you. Someone who’s strong and honest and loves him for him, but also someone who understands the pressures the family is always under. You love him with or without the crown and you wouldn’t be the type of person to use him just for the life of royalty. There’s no one better than you. And you must know that, Steve, because Bucky does.”

He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything but blink at the princess. The silver tiara on Becca’s head glinted beneath the lights as she reached out and grabbed at his hand, carrying on. “It’s because of your feelings for Bucky that I approached my parents about the marriage between the two of you. But... I must also confess that that’s not the only reason,” she continued. He eyed her carefully and there was no missing how her face softened. She stayed silent for a short moment, looking down at her lap as she smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles of her pants. She took a deep breath, then another, before letting it all out in a heavy sigh. “The reason why there are so many meetings regarding this wedding is because John is the heir apparent of the Hungarian Royal Family. Meaning once his parents pass on the throne, John must be the one to continue ruling the country. You have to realize that when the arrangement between the two of us was made twenty years ago, my parents were under the impression that John’s parents would have more children. That wasn’t the case. So now…” 

“So now they want the both of you there since Bucky can take the throne here,” he finished for her. As since his birth, Bucky was second in line for the throne and that would stay the same until Becca had her own children. But if Becca was to leave,  _ Bucky  _ would be the heir apparent. She and any future children that she would have would be taken out of the line of succession. It would remain solely on Bucky’s shoulders until he had children of his own. That was… a lot to take in. And he couldn’t help but wonder if-- “Does your brother know?” 

She shook her head. “No. He’s never thought of himself as the heir, let alone the possible future king of this country, so my father thought it would be best to wait until we tell him. And I can’t just-- I can’t leave him with this responsibility all by himself. Which is why I brought the prospect of marriage to my parent’s attention. We all know you run this palace. You know the royal procedures and you said so yourself that you care for Bucky no matter what. So in the future, that will include loving him and supporting him while he carries on this country.” 

“I will be there for Bucky no matter what,” he spoke, his voice strong and sure. “When and if I take his hand in marriage, I fully intend to stand by him and support him as a husband should. If he is appointed to the throne and made king, then I will be there for as long as he will allow me to be. He will still be Bucky even if he wears the Majesty’s crown.”

Becca smiled amusedly at that. She let out a small huff of laughter “Steve… you do realize that if you marry my brother you will become a member of the royal family, right? When Bucky is appointed to the throne, you will be too. He won’t be the only king ruling this country. You understand this, right?” 

No, actually, he hadn’t. And he was so shocked that he didn’t move or speak for a full minute, staring wide-eyed at the woman in front of him. When she shifted, the tiara glinted again but this time it struck his eyes as if it were teasing him. 

“In  _ fact _ , considering the designation roles that this country has followed from the beginning of our history, you would be the one in charge of the majority of the kingship responsibilities. You know that this country has never had an Omega king before, let alone an heir apparent, so Bucky would need your support even more than any monarch in Romanian royalty history ever has. It’s a lot to take in, Steve, so if you can’t handle it or don’t  _ want  _ to handle it, then you need to put an end to all of this. Immediately. I may like you, and my parents, too, but you can’t lead Bucky on if this isn’t the endgame.” 

He knew that. Gods did he know that. Part of the reason he had left Bucky’s bed to begin with was because he didn’t want things to get out of hand and lead to Bucky getting hurt. He’d been under the impression that he was going to get fired, not be given a marriage arrangement. 

But he knew with every part of him that if Bucky was willing to give him a chance, he wanted to take it. He wanted that possible future with Bucky. He wanted to see Bucky walk down the aisle to him. He wanted to see Bucky’s flat stomach get rounded out with their future children. He wanted it all.  _ So  _ much. 

So he told Becca exactly that. “I want this,” he told her. “I want Bucky and I can make this right if he lets me. I love him and I would do anything for him. All I can wish is that he wants this as much as I do.” 

“Good,” she grinned brightly. “Although I feel like I should remind you that divorces within the family don’t exist,” she said with a chuckle before reaching over and grabbing a notebook and pen. Her hand was writing something as she peeked up at him, smiling teasingly. “By law it’s only permittable through death.” 

His lips thinned as he nodded. “I was aware of that, thank you.” 

“Just making sure,  _ brother _ . Now, this is for you,” she said as she handed him the notebook. He took it and glanced down, taking note of the address elegantly scrawled across the lines. “Bring him home, Steve. Whatever the two of you need to do, I’ll help. I just want this all to be straightened out. And soon, yes? Otherwise my parents will find out and trust me, none of us want that.” 

He’d never gotten much of a chance to get to know the future queen other than on a professional level, but now he got the feeling that there was a lot more to him than meets the eye. He’d never had family, but with her, it felt right. Now he just needed to bring his Omega home. 

He stood up and tucked the address into his jacket pocket. Smiling, he gave Becca a bow. “Of course, Your Majesty.” 

***

It took him less than an hour to grab his personal vehicle from the guard’s private parking lot and make his way into the city where the address was located. It was chaos parking and by the time he ran to the apartment complex, he was faintly sweating above his brows. 

He may have been told numerous times that Bucky was safe, but until he was looking at Bucky with his own eyes, it felt like there was a gaping hole in his chest that was getting wider by the second he stayed apart from his beloved. 

But all of it was worth it when he opened the door and Bucky’s eyes went wide. 

“Steve... How in the hell did you find me?” 

He grinned. “It’s a long story. Maybe a bit complicated, too.” 

Bucky’s shoulders slumped in defeat and he peeked his head out to look down the hall. “Is it just you?” 

“Just me,” he answered. “No one else that works at the palace knows I’m here. And your location is still safe from your parents.” 

Bucky nodded before opening the door wider. “I suppose you can come in then.” 

He stepped into the small apartment and sent a quick glance around the room. It was a security nightmare, truthfully. Wide windows, angles from rooftops and fire escapes, and when he glanced at the door, he took a deep breath at the single cheap latch he saw. But then he saw the chair off to the side beside the entryway and figured Bucky must have been using it for the past few days to secure the door better. Still, the apartment was a far stretch from the palace. 

He didn’t say anything about that though, because he came to a stop as he entered the living room area. “Going somewhere?” he asked, indicating to the suitcase next to the couch. Even if it was small, the apartment was absolutely pristine as if Bucky was-- “Are you leaving? Where are you going? I’ll follow you. And I will find you, Buck.”

Bucky rolled his eyes as he plopped himself down in an armchair near a bookshelf. “Don’t be so dramatic. I was coming back home. I’ve had enough time to think and make somewhat sense of things. Besides, I have the rehearsal of the rehearsal for the royal wedding next month, and God knows there have been a million changes I haven’t been made aware of yet.” 

He took a deep breath. “I understand wanting to have time to yourself.” 

“Oh really, Steve? You understand what it’s like to be the prince of the royal family?” Bucky didn’t give him a chance to respond. Instead, he picked himself up from the chair and headed toward the kitchen. “Would you like some coffee?” 

He shook his head. 

“Good, because I’m actually all out. I packed up all the food.” Bucky grabbed at a coffee cup instead and Steve’s brows went up in surprise because Bucky had to have gone out to get that beverage. His gut did another flip-flop at the threat level there, but he bit his tongue. He didn’t come here to chew Bucky’s head off about security risks. 

Taking a calming breath, he leaned against the sofa, unsure of where to stand or what to do. It was odd to be so out of sorts in front of Bucky. He’d spent so much time thinking of what he was going to say to Bucky, and now that he was here, and Bucky stood in front of him, his mind was blank. 

“Do you want me to take you back to the palace?” 

Bucky shook his head. “No. Maybe? I haven’t really thought about what it would look like for me to just show up.” 

“Walk in the front door, I guess.” 

Bucky hummed, before taking another sip of his beverage. The room turned quiet, but it felt as if there were so many words flying between them. “How did you even find me?” Bucky asked eventually. 

He shrugged. “I guess we’ll never kn--” 

“It was Becca,” Bucky deadpanned. “T.J. would never.” 

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re not. Maybe it doesn’t matter,” he said teasingly, shooting Bucky a smile. 

He was met with narrowed eyes. “T.J. doesn’t know where I am. He has my number and that’s it. So that leaves my sister.” 

“Okay, so you’re right,” he admitted, shrugging again. “But just for the record, talking to your cousin really tests a man’s patience. Loyalty like that is hard to come by.” 

Bucky tilted his head to the side slightly. “Is it?  _ Hm _ .” His Omega titled his head back and took another drink; Steve watched the pale spanse of skin move with Bucky’s swallow. It was a beautiful sight. When Bucky straightened back up, he licked at his lips. “You could have just waited for me to come back.” 

“I was worried that by the time you did, this--” he gestured between the two of them, “-- would be ruined.” 

That seemed to get Bucky’s attention. His steel blue eyes glimmered hopefully even though he was frowning. Bucky looked down at his feet. “And what exactly is this?” he murmured. 

“That’s what we need to talk about, Buck. As Alpha... to his Omega.” 

When Bucky picked his head back up, Steve had never felt anything as powerful as the hope that he saw come to life in Bucky’s eyes. And in that moment he swore to himself that he would make this all right. He owed it to himself, but even more, he owed it to Bucky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, they will get to talk it out like the adults they never seem to be. Boys and their words (or lack of, lol).


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this update being a few hours late. I've been working on a piece for a certain someone's upcoming birthday ;)

Bucky

* * *

The fact that Steve was there, in front of him still hadn’t set in. He had been just about ready to leave, to crawl his way back to the palace and start his new journey in whatever role a newly married Omega prince had-- surely one that he didn’t think would be anywhere near having freedom. 

An hour ago he’d (begrudgingly) admitted to himself that a pretty ring on his finger  _ would  _ be nice but if there was no meaning behind it, then he’d have rather chucked whatever piece of jewelry Steve had given him right out the window. 

But now Steve was here and the Alpha wanted to talk and Bucky’s brain was firing every which way. He braced himself for the worse even though hope bubbled fiercely inside of him. 

“So, then what’s next Steve? Are you going to take me back to the palace where we’ll begin planning our extravagant, over-the-top, way-too-expensive wedding? Even if we keep it small, you know my parents will make a show of it. And it will have to be last minute of course, because we can’t let anything about our relationship get to the press,  _ and  _ we wouldn’t want to overshadow the real royal wedding, since that one’s not too far away.” 

He slumped back against the sofa because it was clear they weren’t leaving right away. And dammit, he really didn’t want to. It was nice to spend time with Steve away from the palace and away from all of the distractions. Steve looked nice here, at home. It fit him. 

Steve took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the couch. “I messed up,” Steve said. The Alpha sat down across from him and leaned on his elbows on his knees. 

He raised a brow. He had expected a lecture, but this was a nice surprise. He nodded, “Go on.” 

“The one rule the Royal Guard has, the one rule that we swear never to break.” 

He rolled his eyes.  _ Ugh _ . Maybe Steve was going to give him a speech after all. “Yes, sleeping with a member of the royal family. But to be fair, you were also protecting me from being taken against my will by the other guard, so…” he shrugged, “it cancels out, I guess.” When he peered over at Steve, his insides clenched at the soft, amused look Steve was giving him. 

God, that man had been inside of him not that long ago. 

“No, not that,” Steve started, but then shook his head as if he’d misspoken. “I mean, yes, I did stop that from happening. But to be honest, sleeping with the royal family isn’t the one rule.” 

He snorted at that. “I should hope not. I would hope you guys have several rules for how to behave yourselves while protecting the royal family.” 

Steve shot him a look and he clamped his mouth shut. “We do have rules; manuals that are several hundred pages long, in fact. But a guard sleeping with a member of the royal family isn’t uncommon. I mean, not in your generation or the past few ones, but it’s happened before. It’s just, well…” 

“There’s never been a marriage between the two before,” Bucky finished for him. He would have definitely remembered a story like that. “But now there might be so it looks like we’ve made history,” he added on, and if Steve noted the slightly bitter way his voice spoke the words, the Alpha didn’t let it phase him. “So what?” 

Slowly, Steve nodded as he took a deep breath. Bucky watched him hold it in. It seemed like the big, brave Alpha was struggling for the words on what to say. Hm, interesting. 

Steve took another deep breath. “Sleeping with you isn’t the rule that I broke, Bucky.” 

He didn’t dare speak, not while Steve was looking at him like that. The air was sucked right from his lungs. His heart clenched. 

“I broke the rule when I fell in love with you.” 

The shock of wind that left his lips trembled. He wrung his hands together in his lap as he stared at Steve, not believing the words that had just hit his ears. “Steve,” he whispered. “You don’t have--” 

“I’m not making it up, Bucky.” He shuddered when he heard his name on Steve’s lips. The Alpha’s voice was gruff and low, giving him no reason to believe that Steve was lying. “I’m not just saying that to sway you one way or another, towards marriage or away from it. I know getting married will make your parents happy and avoid whatever scandal they think will come with us being together but I don’t care about any of that. I care about what  _ you  _ want,” Steve said before stepping out of the chair and kneeling in front of Bucky, taking hold of his shaking hands. “You, James Buchanan Barnes. Not as a prince. I’m asking you. Would you take me as your Alpha?” 

He was nodding his head before Steve had even asked the question. “Yes,” he breathed. “Yes, yes, a thousand--” he didn’t get to finish as Steve was pulling him into his strong arms. Steve cupped his cheek, brushing away the tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes. “I want you,” he said. “Everything else can fade away and I will still want you.” 

When Steve smiled at him, there were tears in his eyes too, and that was all it took until they were both leaning forward and capturing each other’s mouths. Steve kissed him like he was a dying man and Bucky was the only antidote to keep him living. It felt familiar to have Steve’s mouth on him, and oh how  _ right  _ it felt, like the blood in his veins was being ignited in something so powerful that it felt like he was truly living for the first time. Time itself ceased to exist as Steve deepened their kiss, taking full control in which Bucky was glad to give. 

Which is why when Steve pulled back just enough for their lips to break apart, Bucky whined at the loss. “I’m right here,” Steve whispered against him. “Not going anywhere for a long time, sweetheart.” 

He laughed gently, reaching up to grab ahold of Steve’s face between his hands and caressing his beard. “I would sure hope not. I’d hate to order the army to drag you back to me,” he teased. Although was he really? Maybe it was best that Steve thought he was. 

“Or more like you’d have to order the army to drag me away because you’ll get sick of me,” Steve mused, but then his smile was falling and he looked at Bucky like he was the most sacred treasure on the planet. It stole the breath right out of him. “It’s you and me now, Bucky. Wherever you go, I go. You are mine just as I am yours. That’s what’s going to happen now.” 

He sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth. “Even if things get ugly?” he asked. “Even if the press eats us alive? Even if… even if things happen way faster than either of us expected?” 

Steve chuckled. “I think we have the record as far as royal courtships go.” 

“You have no idea.” 

It was quiet for a short moment but neither of them moved apart. Steve kept holding him as he let his attention drift to the side, his fear starting to take over. What would happen if throwing a baby into the mix was too much? What if Steve didn’t want to be a father so soon? What if Steve didn’t even want kids? He wouldn’t  _ dare  _ get rid of their baby. 

Subconsciously, he reached between them to splay his hand against his stomach. Steve looked down. His brow furrowed slightly and when he looked back up, the look in his eyes was different. Softer, more gentler. Almost like he  _ knew  _ already. But there was no way. No way. 

He didn’t say anything as Steve shifted to sit down on the couch, pulling Bucky onto his lap. Immediately he snuggled into his Alpha. In Steve’s arms was his happy place, where he felt comfort for the first time in the past few days. If his worries weren’t in overdrive right then, he would have been experiencing pure bliss. 

“What is it, my prince?” Steve hummed against him. His fingers brushed through Bucky’s hair. “Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it together.” 

He laughed nervously. “Funny you should phrase it that way.” 

Would Steve leave if he knew the truth? He didn’t know if he could manage knowing what it felt like to have Steve for just a short amount of time, only to have him walk away. It would hurt. Not only for him, but for their unborn child. Having a bastard royal child wouldn’t fly with anyone within the kingdom. Just thinking about his baby in that light had him tearing up. 

Without breaking eye contact, Steve’s hand slid up to rest against Bucky’s stomach, his hand hot and heavy. Bucky’s breath fluttered. “Are you?” Steve asked. 

He couldn’t find the strength to say the words, so he nodded. He tried to look off to the side again, but Steve was using his other hand to hold him still. And to Bucky’s surprise, Steve kissed him. It was the same as before, but different, too. Like Steve had something more to prove now, with how he tipped Bucky’s head back and plundered into his mouth, slowly laying them both down. 

Every inch of his skin felt hot, like he was bursting apart at the seams. It didn’t seem possible how Steve made his head spin, but he did, and for a long moment Bucky didn’t know which way was up or down. All that was keeping him grounded was the feeling of Steve’s hand gently pressed against his belly, the other cupped against Bucky’s cheek. Never had he felt so loved, so cherished. 

When they pulled apart to come up for air, Steve was smiling so brightly that Bucky couldn’t help but do the same. “We’re going to have a baby,” his Alpha whispered in disbelief. “Our baby. I wonder how long it’ll be until you start to show.” 

He hummed. “Not sure. All I know is my parents are going to have a conniption over this,” he said and wiped at his nose with his sleeve. 

“Your parents?” Steve echoed, before shaking his head sternly. “We’re not even thinking about them right now. This is just you and me, baby. Nothing else matters. I know they mean well, but--” 

“They miss the mark sometimes. Most of the time,” he said. Which was true. His parents wanted their lives to fit in a royal box, with no room for what they wanted or needed. 

Steve nodded quietly. His hand moved up and down Bucky’s cheek, caressing him like he was something sacred. “I had a chance to speak with Becca while you were gone.” 

His brows rose in surprise. “ _ Becca _ ? You’re on a first name basis with the heir apparent?” 

“I guess so,” Steve grinned. “She told me that since we’re going to be family, I should call her Becca.” 

“Family, huh? Sounds official,” he smiled. It felt like he’d missed so much in the short three days he’d been gone, but if it had given Steve the chance to properly meet his sister, then maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. Plus, it was probably for the best considering Becca would have disclosed his location after she got a real read on Steve. And if Steve was in with Becca, everyone else would be a breeze. “Yes,” he was saying suddenly. 

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Yes, what?” 

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” He laid his head on Steve’s wide chest, the heat of Steve’s body warming him. Large arms held him around his hips. “I don’t want the huge event. Just my family and our friends. I mean, I only have like two friends but still. Do you have any friends?” 

Steve laughed. “I have a few, yes. Luckily, all of them are in the guard so that takes care of security.” 

Oh there would most definitely be security at the wedding, no matter how small it would be. His parents wouldn’t allow anything less. But still, the joke was funny and he laughed, burning his face in Steve’s chest, inhaling the intoxicating Alpha scent. 

“We’re really doing this?” 

“We really are,” Steve answered. “No matter what life throws at either of us, we’ll get through it together.” 

“Yes, we will.” he said, before placing his hands on where Steve were, both of them on top of his stomach. “Now you get to get me a ring. I want diamonds.” 

Steve chuckled nice and deep, then shifted to lower himself over Bucky. “Then diamonds you shall have,” he murmured. His Alpha wasn’t putting his weight against him but instead pressed their foreheads together, trailing his fingers down Bucky’s cheek. “I missed you, my Omega.” 

“I missed you, too.” His eyes soaked in the sight of Steve above him. “I bet you were so bored without me to guard.” 

“I was sad because you weren’t there for me to see or hold. Frustrated because you weren’t there for me to grovel to. Terrified that I’d ruined the best thing that had ever happened to me.” Steve sighed. “ I know everything feels like it’s in fast forward with us, but you have to believe me when I tell you I love you. I have for a long time now, and these feelings that I have for you just get stronger as the days go on. I love you, Bucky, and I want to make you the happiest man on the planet for as long as you’ll let me.” 

His insides turned all gushy, his heart beating wildly.  _ This  _ was the moment he’d wanted the morning he’d woken from his heat. The cuddles, the declaration of love, the promises of their forever. It’s all he’s  _ ever  _ wanted. 

Wordlessly, he pulled Steve’s face towards him and kissed his Alpha. “I love you, too, Steve. And as much as I want to prove it to you right now, I don’t think my sister would appreciate us defiling her apartment.” 

“You’re probably right. So, you ready to go home?” 

“As long as you’re with me, absolutely.” 

***

Walking into the palace was surreal. 

Since Steve was the one driving, they went in through the employee entrance, which was strange for him all in itself. When they went inside, they passed the security desk. The receptionist went wide eyed and blinked at him. “Your Highness,” she said quickly, standing to bow. 

He nodded at her, not quite sure what to say because he never ventured this far into the employee area of the castle and didn’t even know the woman’s first name. 

“How…” Confusion flashed across her face, but she kept her composure. “But you’re supposed to be in your room right now?” 

He leaned over the desk to see what she was looking at. It was the hallway outside his room, the camera focused on his door and where two guards stood outside. “Yes, and that’s exactly where I’m going to go.” He winked at her. She looked over to Steve. 

Steve shrugged. “Don’t ask.” 

“Can you tell us where my sister is?” he asked her. It would save them time from hunting her down or sending out a text. It was evening so as far as he knew, she was home and his cousins would be somewhere nearby, too. 

“Actually, Her Majesty is in the games room with Prince Thomas and Prince Douglas.” 

“Perfect,” he grinned and then turned toward Steve. “I assume you’re off the clock?” 

Steve huffed, amused. “Pretty sure that’s a permanent state for me now.” 

“Oh, so you’ll find out just what it’s like to be part of this family. You’re never off the clock, not even when you run away to another continent. 

“Maybe we can get a body double for me, like you have with T.J.?” 

His eyes widened. “That’s actually a brilliant idea. Then we could hide away anywhere.” He laced his fingers into Steve’s as they walked out of the security office and into the main lobby of the palace. This was their showroom. It served no functional purpose other than a backdrop for photo opportunities and the occasional palace tour. It was strange to walk through the palace how they were, hand in hand with his boyfriend, fiancé,  _ baby daddy _ , as the Americans would say. Steve was all of those things and so much more. 

They walked together, up the two flights of stairs and down the hall to the games room. They passed many staff members, some of who didn’t give them a second glance after they bowed in greeting. But he did catch a few knowing looks and it wasn’t much of a surprise that the grapevine was full of rumors of him and Steve. 

He wasn’t bothered by it though. 

Laughter hit his ears first as Steve nodded to the security guards standing at the entrance. The men gave no indication that they noticed their interlocked hands and they didn’t act surprised to see Steve with him on a less than professional level. Had Steve’s team been informed already? He knew Steve had begun the transition of the royal wedding planning, but how much did the security detail know about them? 

Probably a lot. Secrets were hard to keep in the palace. The maids knew everything. The guards knew even more. Then again, him and T.J. had fooled the entire security team, and had done so for years. 

T.J. whistled as they walked into the room. “Well look who has finally come to their senses. Looks like we’re going to have some real news to share here real soon. Would it be premature to ask if I can be the one to give you away?” 

“Our parents would literally collapse in outrage if it wasn’t them,” Becca noted, before her eyes settled on him and she scoured him head to toe, watching him carefully. “I trust the two of you have straightened everything out?” she asked with a raised brow. 

“Yes, we did.” He sat down on the sofa across from Doug. His cousin reached over to tousle him a bit, but when he glanced back toward his sister, he found her looking at Steve. She appeared to be having a silent conversation with his Alpha and while on any normal occasion he’d demand to know, he figured she was giving him a silent version of the big sister talk or whatever so he pretended to miss the exchange entirely. 

“Fantastic. Now we just have to tell the Majesties, and by ‘we’, I mean you and Steve,” T.J. quipped before grabbing a handful of darts and tossing one at the wall towards the ball. It hit nowhere near the center. “Unless the future queen over there wants to. Soon she’ll be the one in charge of us all-- not that she hadn’t already been for our entire lives.” 

It was hard to imagine, but his cousin was right. In a few weeks time, Becca would be married to the Hungarian prince and then, a few months after that her coronation would take place. 

Becca gave T.J. a small smile. He wasn’t blind to how it didn’t reach her eyes. When he glanced at Steve to see if he could see it too, Steve just looked at him solemnly. There was something there, he knew, but he figured now wasn’t the time or place. Still, it worried him. 

Steve joined him on the couch and leaned into him. His Alpha draped his arm over Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky took it as a good sign that Steve was comfortable around his family, enough so that him and Steve could be honest about their relationship. 

“I think there are many changes in our futures,” Becca said cryptically. “Changes that we will all embrace for the good.” 

Steve’s arm tightened around him; he leaned further into Steve’s embrace. The future was definitely something he was looking forward to. He loved Steve and Steve loved him. Soon he would have a husband, a baby… the future was looking better by the hour. 

“Changes including your husband?” T.J. asked her pointedly. 

They all looked to Becca. She didn’t falter. “John means well. So do his parents and ours. I just think that we’ve received more outside influence than our parents ever have. We know what it’s like in other places. We know that other families, royal or not, are not subjected to the rules like we are.” 

“But you’re getting the brunt of it, Becs,” Doug said sympathetically. “Marrying a man that you’ve been engaged to since you were, what, two? That’s crazy.” 

“It’s only as bad as you make it,” she told them. “But enough about me.” She turned to face him and Steve. “The two of you are official now?” 

He looked at Steve. His Alpha pulled him closer, until Bucky’s head rested beneath his chin. “I mean, it’s official in that we’re together and our parents are going to insist that we get married right away. And honestly, we will be because--” 

“Holy fuck, you’re pregnant!” Becca exclaimed loudly. Even Steve jumped, although that may have been from Becca’s very unlady like words. She clamped a hand over her mouth as his eyes widened. “Sorry,” she held a hand to her chest, her cheeks red. “It’s just, I put two and two together. Oh, Buck, I’m so happy for you. For both of you.” 

T.J. was staring at them with his jaw hanging open; Doug was bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“Thank you,” he said, Steve doing the same. The twins approached them and clasped Steve on the shoulder before engulfing Bucky in a hug. 

“You’re gonna be the best fucking dad,” T.J. told him, before nodding toward Steve. “You, too, Steve. I’m happy for the both of you.” 

“I can’t believe I’m going to be an aunt,” Becca mused. “I can’t believe mom and dad are going to be grandparents. You do realize that mom is going to drive you absolutely crazy carrying the first royal grandchild.” 

He grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he admitted. “But it’s still so early… anything could happen between now and my delivery. You all know how delicate male omega pregnancies are.” 

Becca nodded, standing up to her feet and making her way to them. “Exactly.” She grabbed at his hands before pulling him up, then doing the same to Steve. “Which is why your Alpha is going to take you to the medical room right now and get you on the best prenatal care plan the world has to offer. Mom and dad won’t be too pleased to not be the first to know, but too bad. You two have a baby to take care of. Now go so that you’ll have time to have dinner with the rest of us.” 

He laughed as Steve took his hand and they were pushed toward the door. There were two additional guards now, the ones that were usually assigned to Bucky, and as soon as Steve started to lead them toward the medical wing, one of the guards not so subtly clasped Steve on the shoulder, grinning. It was a quiet exchange but he had a hunch that if they had been in private, Steve and the guard would have been sharing actual words. And just as eager as he was to experience his pregnancy and being a husband, he was looking forward to getting to know Steve and all of Steve’s friends, too. 

Their relationship may have been a bit backwards and way too unconventional for royalty sake, but to Bucky, it was  _ perfect _ . 

* * *

Steve

* * *

That night he stayed in Bucky’s room. It made sense, being that they were betrothed officially, and not to mention, the child they were having together, but still, it was odd to be in Bucky’s room and not leave to return to his own quarters. 

Which reminded him that tomorrow they would have to clean his out. 

He knew the Majesties wouldn’t have any issues with him moving in with Bucky now that things were official. Of course, they’d still have to have some sort of royal announcement. He couldn’t begin to wonder what that would look like, but considering the chaos and formality of Becca’s, he knew theirs would be similar. 

They hadn’t had the discussion about Bucky taking the throne, but he wasn’t going to bring it up because he wasn’t sure he had the right. Something like that could only come from the Majesties themselves.

But if there was  _ anything  _ that he was certain of, it was that he wouldn’t let the stress of it all affect his Omega. 

Bucky came out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth and smiled at him as he laid stretched out on the bed. There sure would be some perks to being part of the royal family; this ginormous bed was one of them. He hadn’t taken the time to appreciate it while he had shared Bucky’s heat with him. 

“How is it possible that so much has happened in one day?” Bucky asked as he climbed in next to him. He pulled the covers over his Omega and pulled him in, Bucky’s face pressing into his naked chest as Steve’s arms circled his waist. His Alpha brain hummed in pleasure feeling his mate within his arms, knowing he could protect Bucky at any given moment. “Are you still sure about this?” 

“Sure about what?” he asked. 

Bucky reached up and let his fingers gently trail down Steve’s face. “Being part of the royal family. You were quiet at dinner.” 

He grinned. “You aren’t getting rid of me that soon, sweetheart,” he said. “I think it’s just because I’m so used to keeping quiet in those situations. It might take me some time to get used to being on the other side.” 

Bucky hummed softly. “I’m sure it’s a huge transition into this life. Not that I would know, but still.” 

“Well, I know basically everything there is to know about the royal family and the protocols you follow and the things that are expected of you. Including the schedules you maintain since I have a hand in orchestrating them,” he added. 

“It will be different though. Now you’ll be part of the gossip. Your whole life will be dissected.” 

He brushed his fingers through Bucky’s hair. “Damn. You don’t think it’s too late for me to back out then, do you?” he teased, smiling. 

Bucky slapped his chest before snuggling in closer. “Nope. You are officially stuck with me. I was asking just to be polite.”

“Well then I suppose it’s a good thing that I would take any life as long as it’s with you,” he said, kissing his Omega. 

“Even if that life means you won’t be able to leave the palace whenever you want? And that you’ll have your own guards assigned to you. No more nights on the town. No more eating out without being hounded by the press.” 

He chuckled. “Today was the first time I had gone outside the palace without being on duty for about five months. I wasn’t lying when I told you this place is my home. Now that I have you, and our baby is growing inside of you, I’m not going anywhere. I love you-- the both of you-- and I want this life more than anything. No matter what, I will be by your side through anything.” Bucky bit his lip and wouldn’t quite meet his eyes. He tucked a finger under Bucky’s chin and forced his Omega to look at him. “No matter what, sweetheart.” 

“It would be a lot, though. And with a new baby. Right? I was practically raised by nannies but I don’t want that. I want us to be a part of our child’s life.” 

“Then we will. Together. You and I will make it work.”

Bucky smiled dreamily, relaxing into him. “Yeah, I think we will.” 

He could feel the exhaustion start to seep into his bones and sunk closer to sleep. He hadn’t slept much at all since his Omega was away. But with Bucky in his arms, his body relaxed and his mind was finally able to rest. With the future they had laid out before them, they would need it. 


End file.
